Wars Are Won: Family, Friends, and Foes
by KLCtheBookWorm
Summary: 4 in the Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare series. Crossover between TMNT & BMFM. Limburger has found a new ally. Will the good guys figure it out in time to stop them?
1. Disclaimer

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES**

  
  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Biker Mice From Mars_ or _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ and I make no money off this work. 

The characters Dr. Karbunkle, Lawrence Lactavius Limburger, Fred the Mutant, GreasePit, Throttle, Modo, Vinnie, Pit Crew, Manuelo, Charley Davidson, Limburger's goons, Napoleon Brie, High Chairman Lord Camembert, Jimmy Mac, Mace, Four-by, Jack McCyber, Stoker, Gouda, Carbine, and Sand Raiders are all original characters to the _Biker Mice From Mars_ cartoon series. 

The characters Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, Splinter, Oroku Saki, April O'Neil, Dan Pennington, Charles Pennington, Chief Sterns, Hamato Yoshi, Tang Shen, and Casey Jones as used in this novel come from _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_, the first movie. The character Keno as used in this novel comes from _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze_. 

The characters Lotus Blossom and Mona Lisa originated with the _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ cartoon series, The Purple Dragon Gang originated in the original Eastman and Laird comics, Oroku Nagi was mentioned in _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Storybook_ by Katharine Ross. I revised their origins to fit these novels. 

The characters Kwai Chang Caine, Peter Caine, and "Kermit" Griffin all come from the television series _Kung Fu: The Legend Continues._

The characters Sparks, Pete, Tala, the gang of human bikers, MC, Bluto the goon, Internal Security guards, Colonel Exhaust, Chuck Davidson, Hot Rod/Roddie, Tomahawk, Bola, Rexus, Ms. Felony, Serafina, Nina, Isabel, Felipe, and Manuela were created for the _Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare_ series and belong to me, so please don't use them in your stories. But feel free to draw them and send me a copy. 

The characters Zack Baker, Allie Baker, Karen, Xaturina, Taro, Amanda Keene Baker, Sammie Yutang, James Baker, and Billy Baker were created for my _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ fanfics and belong to me, so please don't use them in your stories. But feel free to draw them and send me a copy. 

The characters Di, Snake-eyes, Val Tech guards, McGilla, Flight of Fancy, Mimic, Trash, Eight, Ryan, Smarts, Tabitha Val, Dr. Henry Arkson, BatWing, Kōun, Hounds, Chord, Vibes, Spike, Ace, Skulls, Dana Arkson, Lucky, Tracker, and the Leader are all original characters, so please don't use them in your stories. But feel free to draw them and send me a copy. 

"Remember the Heroes" by Sammy Hagar (source of the series title), "Runnin' Down a Dream" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Ninja" by Europe, "Listen to Your Heart" by Roxette, "I'll Be There For You" by Bon Jovi, "Straight From the Heart" by Bryan Adams, and "Live and Let Die" by Guns 'n Roses are used without permission. 

This story contains cussing, graphic depictions of violence, drinking of alcoholic beverages, and sexual situations. If you're not mature enough to handle it, go read something else. 

This story takes place in 1995, one week after _Biker Mice From Mars: Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare: Reunions_ and three months after _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ronin_. If you haven't read these stories, you can find them at my website, the BookWorm's Library (). 

Now you can join my brand-new email group at and get notices of updates as soon as I can update. Or ask me questions or talk to others readers. 

And yes it takes a while to get to the BMFM side of things, but trust the BookWorm. Your patience will be rewarded. 


	2. Chapter One: We Ain't the Only Freaks in...

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter One  
We Ain't the Only Freaks in the City**

Zack tapped the ink pen against his bottom lip. He stared down at the blank loose-leaf paper and wondered how to start. Detailed snail-mail letter writing had never been a skill this fifteen-year-old had bothered picking up. For him, e-mail was quicker and flowed more naturally. But he wasn't even sure how this letter was going to reach his errant sister, so e-mail was out of the question. He sighed as he used the pen to brush his straight black hair out of his dark, almond-shaped eyes. _It's not gonna write itself,_ he thought. He brought the pen tip down to the paper. 

    Dear Allie,  
  

    Well, a lot has happened since... 
__

Since you killed the Shredder. Yeah, that'll make her come running back home, he thought wryly to himself. _Put that in and you'll keep her out of town for another three months._ He sighed and continued. 

    ... since you left New York. I'm doing fine. It's the middle of summer vacation, so more time for what I want to do--roleplaying games, practicing, going to the movies with Karen. Did you see _Apollo 13_? It rocked. Karen liked it and you know how hard it is to find a movie she likes. Don't get your hopes up; we're just friends. 

April's okay too. She says she doesn't miss the constant danger the Foot Clan put us in but she does miss the stories. Mr. Charles keeps trying to assign her away from City Hall, the police beat, and crime stories in general. But she always finds out and stops him. She says Chief Sterns' performance rating goes up after one of their fights. You know how April is. And she says she has more time to work since I'm not getting her called into parent-teacher conferences. But even I'd have a hard time causing trouble during the summer. 

Lotus went back to Japan to visit her family. Before she left, Leo made a big deal out of giving her that busted magical artifact--the time traveling staff. Nobody's saying it out loud, but I think it was some sorta engagement or commitment present. 

I'm still training hard and the Turtles are letting me out on patrols with them. Don't worry, I'm being careful. I don't wanna get shot again. 

He rubbed the raised scar where the bullet had grazed his left arm. The lump of scar tissue was hidden beneath the black, long-sleeved, almost skin-tight gi he wore. Not exactly a great memory of his first city patrol but he was proud of it anyway. 

    We finished rounding up the last of the Foot Clan ninjas and Purple Dragon Gang members. If there are any left in New York, they are definitely keeping a low profile. Raph has been... well, grouchy since the bad guy population has dwindled. I think he needs Mona. He really is a different Turtle when Lizard-girl is around. Better watch it; he says I can't call her that anymore. 

Donnie has a new project--trying to give the Turtle Comms a longer range. I told him we should all get cell phones and he got mad at me. But if he does manage to get this idea going, I wouldn't have to write a letter when I miss you. I got used to having you around, Sis. 

_Better change the subject quick._ Zack tapped the pen against his lip again as he read over what he had written. _She'll worry if I get mushy._

    Course, I saved the Turtle you want to hear about the most for last. Mike's doing fine--better than I expected actually. I never would have pegged him for inheriting Splinter's patience. He's practically Zen about you. He never complains about you being gone; just says you'll be back when you get back. He told me he wasn't going to screw anything up by even **thinking** negatively. I hope you realize what a great guy he is. 

_Now that's just stupid._ He sighed. _Of course she knows how great Mike is; she killed for him. She's not even willing to cross that line for me. Time to change the subject again._

    Splinter's fine too, taking it easy and advising from the sidelines. He's showing me how to meditate. I haven't gotten the hang of it yet. It's boring. Course, Splinter says I need more practice, but he always says that about everything. 

Hope your walkabout or whatever you're calling it is going good. Waiting for the next postcard from Mona and hoping that this letter reaches you.  
  


    Love,  

    Zack 

"You coming or what?" Leonardo poked his head in the Lair's kitchen door. He was the leader--or as the others said to annoy him "the Fearless Leader"--of the fighting team dubbed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Nobody at school would believe his life, so Zack didn't tell them. Though compared to jaunts to parallel dimensions and being named heir-apparent of a ninja dojo; giant, talking, vigilante turtles was normal. 

"Yeah, I'm coming." Zack quickly stuffed the letter into an envelope. It was headed to the address from the last postcard Mona had sent to Raph. She didn't have to address them, but she did and each one had a different address at that. Donnie said she was probably leaving a trail that could be traced in a worst-case scenario. Mike and Raph didn't like that idea and, frankly, neither did Zack. 

He picked up the letter as he stood up from the kitchen table. "Mailbox drop." 

Leo rolled his large brown eyes. "You and Raph." 

"Yeah, well, Mona gets 'em at least. She told Raph so." The red-masked Turtle was a little obsessed with keeping in touch with his almost girlfriend, and Zack didn't like the comparison--especially since this was his first letter to Allie. "Besides, what about those midnight phone calls from Lotus?" They left the mismatched kitchen filled with appliances Donnie had salvaged and rebuilt. April had found all their furniture for them, and not one piece matched another. The junk the Turtles collected all by themselves. 

"Why don't you get yourself a girlfriend so we can pick on you?" Leo threw a muscular, green arm around the wiry human boy's shoulders. 

_Like I haven't tried to get one?_ The medallion Zack wore constantly rubbed his skin. He touched it briefly, feeling the metal through the gi's material. He thought about his other blonde-haired, blue-eyed guardian angel after Allie. But Karen was content with just friendship. Life was simpler when Allie was the only one who would come to the rescue. "Make up your minds," he grumbled good-naturedly. "Either you want me to grow up in a hurry or not at all." 

"You've got time." The Turtle chuckled as he led them through the piles of junk that Splinter couldn't convince them to get rid of. They circled around the train car parked in the middle of the abandoned subway station they had turned into their Lair. A short tunnel led to the parking garage for the Turtle Van. 

* * *

Donatello sighed and straightened the belt and shoulder strap he wore around his shell to holster his bo on his back. Raph had already retreated into the van to get away from Mike's cheerfulness. "All right, I'll bite." He turned to face his brother in the orange mask. "What's got you so happy?" 

Donnie didn't think the goofy grin on Mike's face could get any wider but it did. "I had a dream about Allie last night." 

"Ugh. Forget it; I don't wanna know the details of your fantasy life." 

Indignant annoyance marred Mike's dreamy lovesick countenance only slightly. "It wasn't **that** kind of a dream, gackface. She was helping us attack this baddie's skyscraper base. And the baddie was an alien." 

"Like Leo and Raph would let her help. And aliens? You've been reading too many comic books." 

Mike chuckled. "Right, like I've never caught you going through my collection. But we're going to have to let her help when she gets back." 

"Oh yeah, that's a good idea." Donnie folded his arms across his chest. "Let's encourage another emotional break-down." 

Mike's jovial face grew solemn. "That was because she killed somebody, dude." His voice took a gentle, insightful tone that Donnie had never heard him use before. "And she became what she hates for a brief second. Like it wouldn't destroy you if you killed somebody, no matter how badly they deserved it." 

"Yeah, but..." Donnie began. 

"But nothing, Gandhi. We can't save her from danger by keeping her from it. She'll just go behind our backs again and fight solo and get herself into trouble. It'll be better if she knows we support her." 

Leo and Zack entered the garage just then, sparing Donnie from responding to Michaelangelo's stunning logic. Zack had grown a lot in the three--almost four--years they had known him. He matched their average height of five feet but was leaner than their shells allowed. He wasn't as strong as they were, but some more time with the weights and another growth spurt would change that. 

"What are we waiting for? Let's go find some bad guy butt to kick." Zack grinned and climbed into the back of the yellow van. 

Donnie sighed as he adjusted his purple bandanna mask. "Why keep 'em waiting?" 

* * *

Zack eased into the shadows of the alley. Despite the objections made, he had added a hood to his costume like the Shredder's Foot Clan ninjas had worn. Now he was just another black shadow in the night. Donnie was close by, but he wasn't the furtive figure he was sharing the alley with. She was at the other end of the alley, hiding well but not good enough. _What are you up to?_ he thought. _Nothing worth stealing in this neighborhood._ The dingy alley was filled with trashcans and broken crates. Zack pressed himself into the recess offered by a locked door. It wasn't a very wide alley but it was long. One of the buildings ran the entire length of the block. On the other side, two buildings gave the alley a T-junction. He could see the figure silhouetted at the mouth of the alley well enough to see that it was a girl. 

Suddenly, the figure he was following bolted. She ran straight toward him, knocking aside trashcans and crates in her panic. Zack turned part of his attention to her end of the alley. 

A dull-silver orb bobbed at the mouth. About the size of a basketball, it hovered in the air at head-height, emitting an odd hum. A black band of metal around its center slowly rotated as the orb drifted across the alley's mouth. The black band froze in its rotation as the girl knocked over another trashcan. The orb began to race through the alley after her. A sharp needle of metal began to emerge from the upper half of the orb. "Look out!" Zack yelled as he tackled her. He felt a sharp sting at the base of his neck before they hit the ground. 

The young woman managed to pull her lithe body out from under him. If it weren't for the sudden attack of dizziness, he would have enjoyed trying to stop her. He did manage to realize through the haze slowly enveloping his brain that she had fur where she should've had bare skin. 

She didn't run. She held him and plucked a dart out from behind his neck. Zack looked up. A tawny feline humanoid looked down at him with eyes so light green they almost matched her golden fur. 

"What...?" was all he managed to say to this living cat goddess before darkness claimed him. 

* * *

The cat creature looked up as Zack went limp. The metallic sphere was preparing to fire another dart. Donatello leaped out of the intersecting alley. His bo struck, knocking the metal floating basketball into the brick wall. It sparked and shattered into three big sections. The pieces crashed to the ground. Donnie turned and got his first good look at the cat creature, a look that took his breath away. 

She was beautiful. Large green-gold eyes radiated intelligence and empathy. Her hands moved gracefully and competently to make Zack comfortable. Her melodious voice spoke confidently and decisively, a tone that struck Donnie as familiar even if she wasn't. "He got hit with a tranq. We can't leave him here. But the guards are on their way." 

"Wait," Donnie shook his head trying to get back his cognitive thought processes. "Who are you? What guards?" 

Panic flooded her face. "You're not one of us. And the boy?" 

"Is with me, my responsibility. Who are you? Are you in trouble? Maybe I can help?" 

She shook her head and her mane of dark gold hair flew about and landed perfectly in place again. "The best help you can be is to get your young friend out of here." She climbed to her feet. "They're after me; they should leave you alone. Do you need any assistance?" 

Donnie sheathed his bo onto his shell and knelt to Zack. The human boy was sleeping peacefully. "Will he be all right?" 

"Once the tranq wears off," the cat-girl answered. She was dressed in blue jean shorts and a tight tank top. "I don't recommend staying long in this neighborhood." She turned and sprinted down the alley. Donnie was surprised to see a sleek tail was part of her anatomy. 

He made a sound of bafflement under his breath. Zack was more important, though. He pulled out his Turtle Comm and signaled for help. 

Mike answered. "What's up?" 

"Get the Turtle Van over here. Zack's down." 

"Hurt bad?" 

"Knocked out. A tranquilizer." 

"Just like Raph," Mike answered cryptically. "Okay, I got you on the sensor-thingy. Be there in a few." 

"Fine." Donnie snapped his comm closed and stared wistfully down the alley. _You never even told me your name._

* * *

April O'Neil glanced into the Turtles' bedroom in the Lair. Raphael and Zack were still sleeping off the effects of the tranquilizers. No one else was around, so she smoothed the black hair off Zack's forehead. _You always need a haircut. Have to remember to make an appointment for you._ She straightened the blanket covering him. _Those shellbacks can laugh all they want, but I'm not going maternal._

She stood up and looked into the upper bunk. Raph's fist clenched to slug a nightmare. She touched his arm softly and he sighed. The arm relaxed and rolled off the bunkbed. With a smile, April pushed it back on the mattress. _Poor Raph. His pride is gonna sting when he finds out that Mike rescued him._

She continued down the hall to Donnie's lab. The Lair had expanded since the Turtles had first found it. They built a kitchen and an underground garage for the Turtle Van. Donnie's lab, their bedroom, and a huge training room that was Leo and Raph's pride and joy were added on the opposite side of the beautiful mosaic tiled entrance. At least, it would be beautiful if they would just pick up the junk covering it. 

The remains of the metallic sphere Donnie had briefed her on were laid out on the stained table surrounded by the still-conscious heroes. "I checked with my police sources. Nobody has brought anything like that to their attention." The long-legged reporter climbed onto a stool next to the table. She propped her elbows down on the table and dropped her chin into her hands. Her curly red hair fell forward, draping over her shoulders. 

"We've got Keno checking his connections." Leo frowned down at the ruins of the orb Donnie was carefully turning over in his hands. The computers lining the walls beeped and hummed. The blue-masked Turtle looked back up at April. "People may have seen them and not connected a crime with them." 

"I'll call some of my other sources in the morning. Are Zack and Raph going to be okay?" 

"Yes," answered the mutant rat. Splinter was starting to show signs of his old age on his four-foot-tall frame. His brown fur was starting to go noticeably grey, especially on his muzzle. His steps were slower and taken with more care. April didn't feel that there was much time left for him. "But I do not like what Michaelangelo has reported," he continued. 

"The one that shot Raph didn't wait around to get me too," Mike explained in a how-many-times-do-I-have-to-say-this tone. "It took off at, like, mach seven or somethin." 

"Yeah, that sounds real good." Her concern muted her sarcasm. "But then Donnie getting sighted by the mysterious cat-girl doesn't do wonders for your fighting-in-the-shadows reputation." April's green eyes began to gleam. "What's her story?" 

Donatello looked up with a jerk, his purple bandana not hiding the alarm in his eyes. "She had people chasing her. I doubt she would appreciate being on the evening news." He tried hard to sound nonchalant. Mike and Leo exchanged glances then looked at April. She bit her lip so not to smile at their yeah-right expressions. 

Mike grinned. "You like her!" 

"I do not. I don't even know her." Donnie bowed his head to examine the metal pieces. 

"Right, like we're not the guys who fall in love at first sight." 

"Do you wanna live to see Allie come home?" 

"Leave him alone, Mikey," Leo commanded. His serious gaze fell on the pieces of orb on the table. The dull silver metal reflected the fluorescent lights above as Donnie pried circuitry loose. "We've got bigger things to worry about." 

"We always do," April added gloomily, shifting uneasily on her worn wooden stool. 


	3. Chapter Two: Reaching an Understanding, ...

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Two  
Reaching an Understanding, Finally**

Mona leaned back against the bitch bar of the dark blue motorcycle and enjoyed the wind whipping her brown hair back. This was fun. Except for the pain of having to keep your tail in an unnatural position for so long, you could almost forget that you were a freak. She sighed and rested her hands on top of her jean clad thighs. _I haven't worn blue jeans since before I mutated. Gee, how long has that been? Years? At least five._ She normally ignored clothing. Her post-mutation body had lost most outward feminine characteristics--like big boobs and all hair except the shoulder-length mop on her head--so she usually hid under a trench coat and a fedora. But Allie had pointed out the limitations of her green skin should they take a spill. So she had gotten a seamstress at the last cell to figure out how to make blue-jeans fit and got a leather duster long enough to hide her thick, green tail. 

A frown crossed her broad, green face as she considered the human girl guiding the motorcycle. Mona had started doubting the validity of the reports that Allie was a force to be reckoned with. That Val Tech wanted her as bad as they wanted the elusive Leader of all the Mutates. That without her, the Black Bones were a pale imitation of what they had been. Those reports just didn't match with the reserved high school senior she had been introduced to. Then nearly a year later, she watched in horror as Allie plowed hand claws over the Shredder's chest, drove them into his stomach, and kicked him off a roof. Talk about your rude awakenings. The only thing that made her feel slightly better was that everyone was as shocked as she was. And Allie was shattered; so shattered that Mona was afraid she was heading out to commit ritual suicide. Now three months later, they still hadn't found the answers to Allie's questions. 

_Those hardheaded Turtles!_ She fumed, _I'm not a psychiatrist. And I wouldn't have to be playing one if they had supported her, made her feel like part of the team. But no, she was a fruitcake with no experience. All because she couldn't tell them about the Mutates or the Black Bones. And Allie was hiding and couldn't do anything to attract Val Tech's attention and wanted Zack to have a normal life. Not that Zack actually wants one._

Mona sighed; she hoped she had helped. Allie wasn't waking up from nightmares anymore, screaming that she was the Shredder or a monster or responsible for destroying everybody. And it had taken almost a month of constant barbs to make Allie pick up her sais and knives and prove to Mona that the norm girl still knew what to do with them. The katana was left behind in New York, and Allie never talked about replacing it. Allie still hadn't put on the Ronin's outfit, but she hadn't burned it either, and Mona decided to take that as a positive sign. Despite what those idiot shellbacks thought, Allie needed to help people and she needed to run the risks on the front lines. She wasn't happy anywhere else. And with Val Tech still hunting her, she had to keep her identity concealed. Val Tech never gave up. Allie's DNA probably had an alarm bell tacked onto it in every computer they own. 

_Yeah, I hope it's worth all the crap Raphael is gonna throw at me for leaving with Allie. His letters make it pretty clear that he thinks Allie dragged me away just to hurt him._ She grinned to herself. _I wonder what Mr. Angry-at-the-world will do when I show him what kind of homecoming I want? He usually loses track of his blustering when I don't yell back. And yelling is the last thing I want to do._ She grinned harder, imagining his reaction to a soul-searing kiss. 

They had reached Chicago a few hours after noon. Mona had looked forward to coming here. Another Mutate she had known in Atlanta had moved here a few years back. Chord was one of the most gifted guitarists she had ever performed with, and now no one but fellow freaks could ever appreciate them. The sudden lump in her throat couldn't dislodge the craving she had to sing. Maybe they could get together tonight. 

But Chicago wasn't quite what she had expected. Living in New York City accustomed you to urban decay, but the half-demolished buildings and deep holes where buildings had once been wasn't decay; it was the gouging of a city. It confused Mona. She expected to see construction sites at some point, but they hadn't ridden past any. A few of the demolition sites showed signs of the work ending violently: burnt and broken cranes, dozers, and funny looking backhoes; shallow holes that had ejecta fields. _Yikes, when did protest groups get so explosive?_ They rode the dark-blue motorcycle further into the city. Still no signs of construction, only inhabited oases against the blight of destruction. _I like that. Gotta remember it for a song._

A convenience store/gas station filled one corner of the next intersection on the street. This area looked more alive; dangerous but lived-in. Allie started slowing down the motorcycle and pulled into the station. "Pit stop," she called over her shoulder before the bike engine died. 

Mona nodded and climbed off the bike with a grateful stretch. The tan underside of her tail hit the concrete and refused to move or even twitch. "You sure we can't trade this thing in for something with four wheels?" 

"Gripe, gripe, gripe." The human girl pulled off her helmet and shook her blonde hair free. "You didn't have to come." 

"You'd be lost without me," Mona dismissed airily. 

"You're probably right." Allie's voice lost its teasing tone. "And I don't know if I can ever thank you for it." Mona gaped at her, disbelieving what she heard until Allie started to look uncomfortable. "What? What'd I say?" 

"Never mind," Mona muttered and shut her mouth. 

Allie peered at her--puzzled--then shrugged. "Want something to eat?" 

"No, I'm gonna hit the restroom." She walked away feeling like the world had shifted underneath her. Allie wasn't supposed to notice and she wasn't supposed to say thank you. 

* * *

Allie secured her helmet to the bike. _Mike is always telling me I gotta work on expressing gratitude. I don't say "thank you" often enough._ She missed him so badly it made her ache. Did he miss her as much? They had been in a weird relationship spot when all the badness happened. They had broken up because she refused to share her secrets, but they were still very much in love. _How can you doubt how Mike feels? After everything that happened later?_

The Shredder had made his move. But instead of fighting and killing Zack, he fought the Ronin. And she had been ready to sacrifice herself for everyone's safety. Only that's not what happened. 

She could still see Mike's crumpled body and the blood on Oroku Nagi's katana. She could still feel the rage and despair. And she unleashed that hate. She let it kill. 

Allie knew death. It seemed no matter what she did, anyone she cared about got hurt. That's why she left the Bones, why she left San Francisco, and it seemed like Mike was another casualty. Without Mike, there was no reason to continue. She dipped into the darkness she knew so well and did exactly what the Shredder would have done in her place. She reveled in his agony and death. 

It was only when Michaelangelo grabbed her that she realized what she had done. How evil she had gone. Mike was what kept her out of the darkness and she had nearly gotten him killed. That couldn't happen again. 

She hadn't resisted Mona's coming along. At the time, she was too apathetic over her own fate to care. The only thing she wanted to do was to get as far away from Mike as she could. She had almost gotten him killed and it wasn't happening again. She left him an excuse about needing to find herself and asked him not to follow. He hadn't. And she had been so glad that her evil wouldn't drag him down with her. 

Then Mona had started. Pointing out that if the Shredder hadn't tried to fight Zack and if he hadn't tried to kill Mike, he'd still be alive. Allie couldn't claim responsibility for the Shredder's actions. She goaded Allie into fighting again, and Allie kept up with it because there were too many people in the world that couldn't. It reminded her of what Caine would do. Only Caine wasn't as sarcastic as the Mutate with salamander characteristics. 

Allie had left the Lair with the idea of finding Skulls. But Skulls never shared the nagging doubt in her heart that one false step would turn her into a raging monster. Caine understood the balance between Light and Dark. She wanted to run to the seemingly ageless man, show him the blood on her hands, and ask _can I still fight for the Light?_ And hopefully the serene man with long grey hair and wearing his loose, silk shirt with tigers embroidered on it would explain her inner self using an ancient Shaolin proverb. Then he would explain it again in English, so she could still the nagging doubt. 

Detective Peter Caine had written her a letter asking if his father had come to see her. So Kwai Chang Caine was probably traveling again and hopefully he was moving in Mutate circles. 

She still feared that there was nothing she could do to atone. But her panic that she was New York's new Shredder had eased during the three months. Now it didn't seem to matter since she so badly needed to see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in the orange mask. It was completely selfish how badly she wanted him with her again. But she had to find Caine and settle the question for her own peace of mind. _I should call him. Say "Mike, ditch New York for a couple of months and help me find a certain Shaolin priest." He would do it too._

She kept that thought in her mind as she headed to the glass doors of the store. Two men stood in front of the clerk with odd-looking weapons, some type of portable flame-thrower. Three heads turned as the glass door swung closed behind her: two uglies and the pinched, angry face of the Hispanic clerk. 

One of the uglies--a burly man with bushy tan hair spreading from under his blue baseball cap and an under bite that would scare a bulldog--faced her and brought up his flame-thrower rifle menacingly. A small spurt of flame danced at the end of the barrel. "You just stepped into something you didn't want to, girlie." 

The other ugly--a thin man in a brown trench coat with greasy, shoulder-length black hair--snickered as he let his blowtorch rifle dangle from his shoulder. "Fill it up!" He told the clerk, thrusting a canvas sack across the counter. "Or something nasty will happen." 

A wicked grin slid over Allie's face as the adrenaline began to flood her system. _Never show fear, especially not to idiots like these guys._ "Yeah something nasty will happen--to you two." 

"What was that?" The ugly with the under bite demanded. 

"Are you going to fight or barbecue me?" Allie surged forward. Her sudden movement took him by surprise and she grabbed the rifle. But it didn't take him by enough surprise because he didn't relinquish the gun. So she shoved him back and dove down an aisle. She saw the clerk dive behind the counter out of the corner of her eye. 

The ugly recovered quickly with a snarl and fired the flame-thrower down the aisle she had run through. Luckily, it was the snack aisle and not the automotive. A few bags of chips combusted but nothing exploded. 

Allie reached the end of the aisle and grabbed a six-pack of soft drinks off the display. She hurled one can after another as she moved up the next aisle. The cans sailed over the shelves on the left and a few heartily yelled cuss words told her they had connected. When the six-pack was gone, she flipped over the shelves to the aisle on her right. 

At the cash register counter, the other ugly leaned over it trying to find the clerk. A fire extinguisher went off in his face and he staggered back. The foam dripped from his face, front, and blowtorch rifle. The clerk jumped up and swung the extinguisher by its narrow top, heaving it better than most batters handle their baseball bats. The red canister connected with the ugly's head. He spun around 180 degrees and fell to the floor. 

Before Allie had a chance to whistle admiringly, the ugly chasing her rounded the corner to the aisle she had thrown the cans from. "What the hell?" 

She fluidly moved around the end of the aisle and jump-kicked his back. The ugly flew through the air, landing and busting through the Formica countertop. The cash register slid down and landed on the back of his chest. 

The clerk grabbed the strange flame-thrower rifle out of the rubble that had been the counter. "Stupido Pit scum. You should know better than to mess with Manuelo!" 

Allie stuffed her hands into her Black Bones leather jacket and sauntered to the front of the store. Mona jerked open the glass doors and skidded to a stop. "What'd I miss?" 

"A hold-up job. Which I'm sure these sleeping beauties are going to regret attempting when they wake up." Allie's sky-blue eyes flicked over the clerk. His gaunt frame looked like it was slowly filling in again. A haunted angry expression of clenched teeth and wide-opened eyes dominated his face as he stared at the criminals. _He knows these guys_, she realized. _And they hurt him bad._ "Manuelo? Are these guys going to be here for the police?" she asked softly. 

His head jerked up and he stared at Allie. He swallowed and spoke after his Adam's apple stopped bobbing. "Sí, the police will get these two." He kicked the nearest one. "Maybe that'll keep the rest of the Pit scum away." 

"So we don't need to stick around?" 

"No." He smiled, "Thank you." 

"Just passing through. Handy use of a fire extinguisher." Mona had backed out the door and held it open, so Allie circled around the uglies and joined her. 

"Ride free, citizens!" Manuelo called after them. 

"Ride free, citizens?" Mona climbed onto the bike. 

Allie shrugged as she pulled on her helmet. "I kinda like it." 

"You would. Man, if Chicago is this much fun in broad daylight, I can't wait till after dark." 

Allie pulled the bike out into the street and gunned the engine. "I heard it was getting bad out here but I figured it was the standard inner-city decline." 

"It wasn't this bad the last time you passed through with the Black Bones?" 

"It looks like they've been in a war." 

"With who, I wonder?" 

Allie shrugged again in response to Mona's question. 1990 was the last time she was in Chicago. Skulls nearly had the new Black Bones assembled. They had traveled from New York with stops for training and to learn where Mutate safe houses were. They had reached Chicago, picked up Smarts, and Skulls had declared they were ready for the major leagues. And they started kicking butt all the way to California. Things had been simpler before she was tagged. 

"Cheap motel time?" Mona asked. 

The human girl glanced at her watch. "Yeah." 

* * *

Allie stretched out on the bed and closed her eyes. She could still feel the throbbing of the motorcycle, but it was fading. Mona was soaking in the bathtub, trying to restore the natural water balance in her salamander skin. 

That fight--she hadn't held anything back and nobody died. Maybe killing the Shredder had been an unlucky fluke. Maybe she could fight without touching that darkness again. Caine had said she wouldn't become a monster. She wanted him to be right. 

His son had been right about her. _"Look, it's not impossible to rebuild a life." His blue eyes flicked around the living room and came back to Allie's face. And she was sure her face was set to show how unhappy she was. "I had to do it when I thought my father was dead." _

You'd never believe that Detective Peter Caine had any Chinese in him with his curly black hair and blue eyes. But sometimes you'd see him give the same look his father would. He and Kermit--Detective Griffin--personally flew her back to New York from San Francisco to protect her from Val Tech and to make sure she stayed with her older brother. Billy was lurking somewhere in their parents' apartment with Zack. The apartment she hadn't seen since she was four years old. Billy had decided to bring them together and this was the only place to go. 

"But I was rebuilding my life," Allie cried petulantly. It wasn't fair. Skulls and the Bones needed her. She was doing good and controlling her impulse to hurt just like evil people could hurt and helping people and now she couldn't. Practically blowing up the Hundred-first Precinct proved the lengths they would go to. But she knew that. That's why she left Skulls and the Bones, because she didn't want to endanger them more than their lives already did. 

"On the run from monsters and an evil corporation that wants you dead is not a life." Once again, he leaped right into her thoughts. Allie decided she really didn't like it. "Never turn away a second chance," Peter added. 

The same thing Caine had told her. She cracked a smile. "You talked to your dad about me." 

"Well, we understand about second chances." 

Allie opened her eyes and stared at the dingy tile ceiling of the motel room. She had given Billy and Zack a school year to see if the experiment would work. If it hadn't, she would have left to find Skulls and together they would have found a way for her to help without alerting Val Tech. But instead the end of the school year found Billy dead, her and Zack heirs of Hamato Yoshi, a homicidal maniac ninja after them, and her in love with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. A love she of all people didn't deserve. 

"I can't keep hiding from it. Either the Ronin brings out the evil in me or it doesn't. But there's only one way to find out." She stared at the ceiling. "I have to figure out the truth." 

* * *

Mona lay on her stomach across one of the room's double beds, finishing the last of her french fries while watching an old Cyndi Lauper movie on the free cable. Allie had insisted they take a break from each other tonight. Which worked out fine with what Mona wanted to do in Chicago. She had called around, finally found Chord, and worked out an impromptu jam session. Allie still hadn't announced her plans yet. After the norm girl bought supper, she had locked herself in the bathroom. 

The bathroom's light clicked off as Allie stepped into their motel room. She was dressed entirely in black: calf-high combat boots with daggers tucked in the tops; black leotard covering her legs, arms, and torso; on top of the leotard a pair of black denim shorts and a loose shirt. The belt with built-in compartments--holding everything she could possibly need--and a pair of sais strapped around her waist... and she held the Ronin's hood in her hands. 

Mona sighed. _Well, I guess it's time to see if she's ready._ "What are you doing?" 

Allie looked up. "I'm going prowling. It's been a while, I'm out of practice." 

"You don't have to wear that." 

She grinned and there was nothing hiding behind it. "No, I don't. But there are advantages to being hard to see and harder to identify. Besides it's a scary look. A lot scarier than a short, blonde girl waving a sword." 

"A lot of people would disagree with that description. Vehemently," Mona pointed out with an ironic twist to her lips. 

Allie shrugged. "I'm considering the perfect stranger's point of view. I just have to remember that I am Allie and the Ronin and stop that nasty split personality thing before it starts." 

"But that hasn't been your problem." 

Allie looked down at the hood in her hands. "I got addicted to being the Ronin. That's not going to happen again. I'm going to work out a better way to help people. Something more legitimate than vigilantism." She stuffed the hood into one of the pockets of her leather jacket and pulled the jacket on. 

Mona quirked her eyebrow. "Isn't it a little hot out there for that? I understand needing it on the bike but it's the middle of July." 

"Instant camouflage. If you need to find me, I'm ending the night at Pete's." 

"You're not taking the bike?" 

"I don't use the bike in New York." Allie slipped a room key into the jacket's breast pocket and zipped it closed. 

Mona twirled a lock of brown hair in her green fingers as she waited for Allie to say something else. But she just turned and left the motel room, without another word. The Mutate sighed. "She's got brains and she always uses them. I don't have to worry. Much." 

* * *

Allie took a deep breath as she surveyed her surroundings from a skyscraper's rooftop. Mona didn't understand. Despite the card she had been dealt, she would never be at home in the night like Allie and the Turtles. Of course, Mona wasn't a ninja. Inside, she was still the same girl that craved the stage and lights. She had learned new skills for her mutated body but only because she was a survivor. 

The mesh covering her blue eyes didn't impede her vision, but Allie still didn't like what she saw. It was a war zone. Destroyed and deserted buildings stood next to still inhabited ones. No one bothered to hide the scouring marks of laser burns and debris from explosions. And the ruined buildings waited to have the destruction finished by shot-up construction equipment. Temporary metal fences surrounded these abandoned sites and the same company sign hung on all the sagging fences--Limburger Industries. 

The roar of many engines pulled her attention further up the street. The sound wasn't right for a motorcycle gang. She had been away from the Bones for years, but that year with them was still engraved in her memories. She missed them. She missed Skulls' gruff complaints, Eight's silent protection, Smarts' vocabulary that rivaled Donatello's, Trash always trying to get them both dates, and when Ryan forgot about his devotion and was just her friend. But her place was with Mike. If only she wasn't so worried about getting him killed. As much as she missed the Bones, she wasn't going to leave Mike for them. And Mike would never leave his brothers. And she didn't want him to either. 

Her eyes scanned the desolate street. Headlights were coming forward. A squad of dune buggies covered with some heavy artillery rolled down the street. She didn't need special mutant senses to figure out that the thugs heading out of town on weapon-laden dune buggies were up to no good, but without knowing what was going on she didn't know who to help or hinder. Time to scout out some answers. 

She got her bearings and climbed down to the street. She headed west into a neighborhood she remembered from her first visit to Chi-town. Back in 1990, Pete's Chi-town Tavern was the first bar she had ever entered. And it was still her favorite. _What a night that was. I had Mike laughing hard enough to split his shell. Maybe I should tell Zack the story. He's always asking me about the whole year I was gone._ Pete was another norm that had befriended Mutates and helped them out. He and Skulls were old road buddies. Pete let Mutate minors into his bar but never served them alcohol. They had worked out a system where the telepaths would let Pete know if any undercover cops were present and the "C" in the neon sign would go out. Handy code for those patrons who needed to avoid the law, too. 

Allie passed a still-open garage named the Last Chance and grinned. _Wonder if it refers to the mechanics' skills, the hours they keep, or the neighborhood?_ The neighborhood was just a little more upscale than condemned. A few buildings were still inhabited along with the garage. But at least the streets were free of debris from the crumbled buildings. With a garage in their neighborhood, she guessed there was incentive to keep the streets drive-able. 

Changing streets and heading up a few more blocks improved the neighborhood significantly. The area around Pete's looked about the same as it had five years ago. The "C" on the sign was lit. She sighed as she retreated slightly into the shadows to pull off the hood and comb out her hair with her fingers. Looking presentable, she headed for the front door. 

* * *

Mona waited in the shadows outside the motel. Tired of all the disguises, she had left them in the room with the rest of the luggage. A cool breeze from Lake Michigan whipped her hair. You could close your eyes and forget that you were in the middle of an urban wasteland. An old station wagon pulled up through the streetlight, but parked in the shadows. "Mona!" 

She grinned and jumped into the passenger's side. "How ya been, Chord?" 

The lean man shifted the gears. Thick black fur covered his hands, arms, and face. His eyes gleamed brightly. "Pretty good, all things considered. Heard you ended up in New York." 

"Yeah, in Snake-eyes' cell." She looked out the window at the crumbling buildings. "How can you live here?" 

"With a strong stomach." Chord's laughter was infectious and Mona started giggling. "Ready to jam?" 

"More than ready." 


	4. Chapter Three: Meet the Mutates

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Three  
Meet the Mutates**

"Man, even Keno didn't come up with anything?" 

Leo rolled his eyes as much as he could while driving and joined the collective sigh from the other passengers in the Turtle Van. He loved Raph and could sympathize with his brother's frustration. _But there are times I wish he'd never learned to talk--like now._ "We have to give him more time. He said he had some promising leads but it would take time to develop trust." 

Raphael turned his red-masked face to look out the front-seat passenger door's window. He growled impatiently under his breath. 

Zack leaned on the back of the bench, draping his arms and head over it between Leo and Raph. "Maybe we should talk to some of Allie's contacts," he suggested. 

A disparaging snort was Raph's only comment. 

"That would be a great idea except we don't know how to contact Allie's contacts." Mike reclined in his seat in the back and drummed his thumb and two fingers against the shell over his stomach. "Taro disappeared on us, remember?" 

"Probably joined them on their crazy adventure," Raph muttered darkly. 

"Well, Mona is a looker. I can understand why he'd find it hard to stay away." 

Raph bristled under the goad and twisted in his seat belt to glare at his nonchalant brother. "I don't think he's into green. Probably prefers blondes." 

Mike grinned. "Most guys do, but Allie scares him. Guys don't like blondes that scare them. Which explains why Pamela Anderson hasn't played a psychotic killer in her illustrious film career." 

Raph rolled his eyes and turned back to the window. 

Leo glanced at Zack in the rearview mirror. Their amused eyes met in the glass before Zack returned to his seat. "We know about Nickey's Blues Bar," the blue-masked Turtle suggested as he returned his attention to the street. "Maybe we could find some information there." He parked the yellow and green van in an inconspicuous spot in an alley. "Right now, we patrol." 

Raph saluted sarcastically as he jumped out of the van. Leo sighed to himself as he climbed out. Zack sympathized with him. Raph hated it when someone got a jump on him, and couldn't drop the subject until whoever was guilty of the transgression had been punished. It led to some monotonous conversations after a while. Zack climbed out of the side door of the van, and Leo joined Raph in the middle of the alley in front of the human. "Have you got a better idea?" Leo asked, annoyed. 

"No, Fearless Leader, I don't. I just don't like these guys getting away with shooting me." 

"We don't even know who these guys are." The blue-masked Turtle tried to soothe with reason. The problem was that reason never really worked with Raph. 

"Snake-eyes might." Zack rolled the balls of his feet against the asphalt while waiting for Donnie and Mike to climb out of the van. The name and the conversation had finally returned to him. __

Allie's sharp blue eyes were focused on the black leather jacket she was carefully placing on a hanger. Zack had just delivered another box of her clothes to her new bedroom in April's apartment. "Look, Zack, if you ever get in trouble...." 

He hadn't been in a mood to listen. "I'm always in trouble, Allie. Having an insane megalomaniac with a league of ninjas at his command wanting to kill you puts you in trouble a lot." 

She dropped the jacket on her bed, grabbed hold of his shoulders, and shook him firmly. "Non-Foot Clan trouble, Zack. And something worse than the bullies at school. I'm serious. If I'm not around to help you, go see a guy named Snake-eyes. He owns a club on the East Side called the Snake Pit. Go to him, tell him you're my brother, and tell him what the trouble is. He'll help you." 

He broke out of her grip. "One of your famous contingency plans?" 

She smiled wryly. "Humor your big sister, will you? Sometimes, she really does know best." 

"Okay, okay. Snake-eyes, the Snake Pit. Got it." 

"Who is Snake-eyes?" Raph demanded. 

"Look out!" The end of Mike's nunchucks hit the metallic sphere trying to sneak around the back of the Turtle Van. It spun out of control and slammed into the brick wall of the alley. 

A large piece rolled in front of Zack, stopping at his feet. "These things are more annoying than the Energizer Bunny!" 

"We've got more company," Donnie yelled. 

Leo whirled, pulling his katana out as he pivoted. A group of about thirty uniformed men approached them from both ends of the alley. They wore dark-blue, lightweight, body armor with a matching helmet that had a large magenta visor covering their eyes. Their leader spoke into a microphone headset attached to his helmet, but he stood close enough for the Turtles to hear the orders to the rest of the armored crew. "The Mutates are armed. Only need to take one alive." 

"Ain't that typical," Raph muttered. 

"The human must be captured alive," the leader concluded. And the men moved in holding strange-looking rifles ready to fire. 

Zack grinned. These guys obviously had no clue who they were up against, nor how much experience the Turtles had with fighting opponents with guns. Leo leaped and somersaulted neatly over the leader's head. A kick aimed back sent the leader through the air, landing him against the open passenger door of the van, which slammed the door shut. A kick, pivot, and two neat slices with a katana disabled the guns of the nearest men. 

Zack pulled his pair of sais out of his belt and felt a shell come up behind him. He glanced over his shoulder. Mike covered his back and flashed him a grin before wrapping his nunchucks around an attacker's neck. Not really surprising, Mike and Donnie were the two who watched his back the most. A uniformed man rushed into Zack's zone, bringing his rifle to bear. Zack yanked the rifle out of the owner's hands with his sais. A scissors kick knocked him out cold. Zack heard the nunchucks wrap around a rifle and crush it, its owner's gasp of disbelief, and Mike's fist knocking him out. 

Leo and Raph were working on the group coming from the end of the alley closest to the van. Raph was tearing through his half of them. His sais mangled their rifles and his feet and fists mangled their bodies. 

Mike pivoted and Zack moved with him so now he looked at the other end of the alley. Donnie's bo tossed a couple of attackers against the brick wall. The purple-masked Turtle pivoted and thrust his bo into the stomach of his next opponent. "Are you guys sure you don't want to talk this over?" 

Leo kicked away another attacker and something whizzed past his head, barely missing him. A dart hit the guard standing in front of the Turtle. The guard crumpled to the ground as Leo looked up. More men in the unfamiliar dark blue armor were lining the rooftops. "Snipers! Fall back!" 

Mike grabbed hold of Zack and tossed him in the still-open sliding side door. Zack cut off his protest when Mike jumped in after him. Donnie reached the back doors and climbed inside. He batted a couple of attackers in the head and slammed the doors shut. Leo yanked open the passenger's side front door and found Mike already climbing into the driver's seat. 

Outside, the snipers began to fire laser beams from the odd-shaped rifles. Raph somersaulted through the barrage and jumped into the van. Zack slid the door shut and yelled, "Go!" 

Squealing tires carried them away. Raphael lurched to the front seat. "Go back! We can't let those creeps get away!" 

Mike glanced at Leo. The blue-masked Turtle nodded. "We gotta know who they work for at least." Mike gritted his teeth and gave the wheel a sharp turn. The van quickly circled the block and returned to the scene of the attack. 

Their attackers were gone. 

* * *

Zack stared at the empty alley visible through the windshield. Raph swore under his breath. Mike hit the steering wheel in frustration. "They called us _mutates_! The least they could do is watch the news and get our names right." 

Donnie made some sort of soothing response, but Zack wasn't listening. Allie was always right, especially when she made a contingency plan. And she had thought Zack might need more help than just the Turtles. Or maybe different help. Or maybe the Turtles needed help. 

He turned to Mike who stared glumly out the windshield. "Did Allie ever tell you about Snake-eyes?" 

"No. Who is he?" 

"Someone she told me to see if I ever got in non-Foot Clan trouble." 

Raph came up angrily to Zack's side. "You want to trust this to one of Allie's hoodlum friends?" 

"Allie's hoodlum friends have helped us out before," Donnie pointed out. 

"I don't like the idea of telling the lowlifes of the city that we can't handle these guys." Raphael folded his muscular green arms over his shelled chest and glared at everyone equally. 

"This does qualify as Non-Foot Clan trouble," Donnie remarked. 

"Donnie," Raph said warningly. 

"Where do we find this Snake-eyes?" Leo asked Zack. 

"When Allie told me about him, she said he had a club on the East Side called the Snake Pit." 

"This is a bad idea, Leo." 

"It's the only lead we got." The blue-masked leader twisted angrily in the seat. "If it came from April, Keno, or anyone else, you'd be driving like your shell was on fire to get there. We're going and that's final." 

Mike eased the Turtle Van into gear. "East Side, here we come." 

* * *

Raph stared at the deteriorated neighborhood. "This place is familiar. I think this is where we ran into Mona." 

"You got her on the brain," Zack said as he climbed out of the Turtle Van. 

The Turtles shrugged on their trench coats and fedoras, and followed Zack down the outside stairs to the basement club. At one point in its life, this seven-story building had been classy apartment housing. But now it had fallen into squalor along with the rest of the neighborhood. 

A beefy, neck-less bouncer almost as wide as two of the Turtles shot a thick, hairy arm in front of the door. "You're underage, kid." 

Zack took the lead. This was his idea after all. "We need to see Snake-eyes." 

A sneer widened the bouncer's face. "Yeah, and who should I say is calling?" 

"Allie Baker's little brother." 

The sneer vanished and his swarthy features paled. "Sweet Mother of God, I'm just doing my job!" He lurched out of his spot next to the door, wrenched it open, and escorted them inside. 

"Neat trick. Does it work at other clubs?" Mike whispered. 

"I don't know. They don't sell alcohol at Gimmicks." 

The bouncer wiped his sweaty brow and turned to the hostess who blinked large orange and black eyes at the group. Zack looked hard, hoping he wouldn't be caught staring. Her eyes were like an owl's and the brown mass on top of her head was feathers. Zack knew his sister kept strange company, but this was weird even by his standards. 

The bouncer sucked some air into his massive chest. "Call the boss, Fancy. Allie Cat's little brother wants to see him." 

The hostess blinked her orange eyes at the group again focusing them on Zack as her sharp talons dialed a phone on the counter. "Kitty-kin's little brother? What has she been up to? She hasn't been here in ages." 

"She's out of town," Zack answered. Hopefully, this bird-lady--who he was damn sure wasn't wearing a costume--wouldn't ask why. 

The voice at the other end of the receiver snagged her attention. "Hey Bossman. Kitten's kin has shown up. No, he isn't alone. He's got four guardian angels." She chuckled. "Nah, they don't look like the types to let him go all by his lonesome. Can't say I'm blame them; he's cute." 

Zack turned beet-red at her appraising look and following wink. The Turtles chuckled slightly at his discomfort. She hung up the phone and turned back to the bouncer. "Okay, McGilla, back to your post. I'll take them up." 

The bouncer's shoulders sagged with relief. "I don't want Allie Cat mad at me, Fancy." 

"She won't be mad at you," the bird-lady assured him as she signaled a waitress to take her place behind the counter. The massive bouncer went back outside as she joined their group. "Poor thing. He made the mistake of laughing at Allie after she'd had a really bad day. It was hours before this place was presentable again. But he's been careful not to step on her tail since then." Fancy chuckled as she led them into the interior of the club. 

Zack took a cursory glance around the club. A large dance floor took up most of the space in front of a good-sized stage. Two large freight-elevators stood alone on the walls staring at each other through a throng of bodies. For being still early in the night--only about eleven o'clock--the Snake Pit had a sizeable crowd. Waiters and waitresses worked the people in the sidelines for drinks. 

The hostess was clearing a path to the elevator on the same wall as her station and the main door. Zack's eyes came to rest on the creamy skin of her back, revealed by the back-baring halter-top she wore. Of course, she couldn't wear a normal shirt. Not only did she have a line of feathers down her spine, she also had two protrusions between her spine and shoulder blades. Protrusions, Zack realized, that were misshapen wings. Wings that the bird-lady could never use. What was she? Where did she come from? And how the hell did Allie know about her? 

Raph yelled something at Mike. The orange-masked Turtle shook his head and watched the singer on the stage as he followed the group. The girl with long red hair, dressed in a shimmering blue robe, belted out a song without the benefit of a microphone and it filled the space. The band behind her played the music.   
  
**_It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down  
I had the radio on, I was drivin'  
trees flew by, me and Del were singin' little Runaway  
I was flyin'  
  
Yeah, running down a dream  
that never would come to me  
workin' on a mystery, goin' wherever it leads  
Runnin' down a dream_**

"You're always lookin' at girls!" Raph shouted at him, disgusted. 

"She sounds just like Tom Petty!" Mike yelled back as they all gathered in the elevator.   
  
**_I felt so good like anything was possible  
I hit cruise control and rubbed my eyes  
the last three days the rain was unstoppable  
It was always cold, no sunshine  
  
Yeah, running down a dream  
that never would come to me  
workin' on a mystery, goin' wherever it leads  
Runnin' down a dream_**

Fancy chuckled as she inserted a key above several buttons and turned it. The elevator car began to rise. "Mimic is good, but it's like having a jukebox up on stage." She stuck her tongue out for a second. "The Bossman would send out the regular talent on a job. But then if Famous Grin can't do it, nobody can. Do you know her?" 

Zack shook his head at Fancy's probing orange eyes. "Why don't you use their real names?" 

A smile tugged her lips. "Nobody uses their real names around here. And I like word games. Betcha can't guess my official code name?" 

"Flight of Fancy?" He remembered those misshapen wings. 

"Right." The look of appraisal she gave now had nothing in common with her earlier one. 

Raph nudged Mike. "You never answered my question." 

"No, Allie never told me about this place, all right!" His voice wasn't quite distressed, but Zack heard the note of concern. Mike knew better than Zack Allie's reasons for not telling people about the things she knew.   
  
**_I rolled on as the sky grew dark  
I put the pedal down to make some time  
there's something good waitin' down this road  
I'm pickin' up whatever's mine  
  
Yeah, running down a dream  
that never would come to me  
workin' on a mystery, goin' wherever it leads  
Runnin' down a dream_**

The elevator car passed a mezzanine floor that held tables and overlooked the stage and dance floor. The third floor was quieter--sealed off from the rest of the club and filled with more tables. The music floating up with them through the elevator shaft was growing further away. The fourth floor was a long hallway of closed doors. 

Fancy led them out of the elevator and down the hall to a door at the end. She knocked and opened it when the masculine voice on the other side commanded her to. She stood by the door, shooed them inside, and shut it firmly behind them. 

The man behind the desk was slick, Zack decided after glancing over him as they entered the office. A small-boned Hispanic man with thick black hair gelled back along his skull. A pencil-thin moustache lounged against his upper lip. The suit he wore was Armani and the small stylish shades that covered his eyes were RayBans. A poser, someone Allie would have no patience with. Why had she sent Zack here? 

Donnie recognized the other occupant of the room before Zack could. "You!" 

The cat girl from the alley sat across the desk from the slick poser. She was easier to see in the better light and without a drug-induced haze. She belonged in Cats. They wouldn't even need make-up because the tawny fur and tail were real. The points of her ears peeked through her mane of dark-gold hair. Her green-gold eyes flicked over Zack and the Turtles as her lips turned up in a smile. "'It's a Small World' absurdly comes to mind. And you're Zack. The last time I saw you, you were just starting kindergarten." 

"Funny, I don't remember any strange cat people hanging around." Zack tried not to frown too hard. 

"She wasn't a cat then," the man behind the desk said in a native New Yorker accent. "Now, what's the problem your sweet sister and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can't handle?" 

"Are you Snake-eyes?" Zack asked neutrally. 

"Cautious, ain't you? Yeah, I'm Snake-eyes and she's Di," he pointed to the cat-girl. "And you're Zack Baker and they're the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." 

Raph snatched the fedora off his head. "Allie told you about us?" 

"Do we know the same Allie Baker?" Snake-eyes leaned back in his chair. "She never told me about you boys--that red-headed dame on Channel Three Evening News did. We figured somebody was domesticating Allie Cat, but she don't squeal. Mona Lisa told me she was hanging with you guys." 

"Mona! How do you know Mona?" 

Snake-eyes's eyebrows rose high above his shades. "You must be Raphael. She described you as an insecure type heading for a heart attack." 

Leo grabbed Raph's arm before he leaped across the desk to throttle the man. "Cool it, you're embarrassing us. Zack, tell the man why we're here." 

Zack quickly outlined the previous night's adventure and its interesting sequel, leaving out what had happened to Raph and summing up with the decision to see Snake-eyes. 

Snake-eyes's lips and moustache twitched. "Not normal behavior." He turned to face Di. "They're gunning for the norm kid and don't want to capture a whole group of renegade Mutates. What gives?" 

"Get it right!" came from Mike before the cat-girl could answer. "We're not mutates, we're mutants. Teenage **Mutant** Ninja Turtles. And we're definitely not renegades." 

"Don't be too upset." Di's tone soothed without descending into sugary sappiness. "When the reports started circulating in New York about you, we thought that you were Mutates, but not fighting our fight." She turned her somber gaze to Snake-eyes then back to the Turtles again. "Only wanting one of you means Val Tech knows they didn't create you. Which means they're just interested in dissection. But how did they learn you're not Mutates?" 

"One of those silver orbs hit Raphael the same way it hit Zack last night," Leo explained. Snake-eyes bolted upright in his chair and the Turtle added, "Zack didn't say anything about it because Raph didn't want to come, and we weren't sure if you could help us." 

"Is there anything else you're leaving out?" Snake-eyes demanded. "Like where your sister and Mona Lisa are?" 

"We don't know," Zack answered. "Don't you think I would get her here if I could? Evidently, she knows what we're dealing with, and I would really like her here to deal with it!" 

Snake-eyes started easing back in his seat. "She has complained about not being appreciated lately." 

"That's my brothers." Mike ignored the dirty looks from Raph, Leo and Donnie. "Me and Zack know what Allie's capable of." 

The black lenses of Snake-eyes' shades reflected the light as he watched Mike. "You're the one she killed for." 

The orange-masked Turtle studied the floor. "Yeah." 

"You had Mona spying on us?" Raph choked out. 

"I had Mona spying on the Ronin." 

"This is getting us no where. Allie's not here and wishing isn't going to bring her. Right now, we need to decide how to help you." Di turned back to Snake-eyes. "Unless you want to call down Allie's wrath?" 

Snake-eyes sighed and rubbed his eyes under his shades with practiced ease and without revealing his eyes to the light. "Hell no, I rather go back to the lab!" His face turned to Zack and the poser image was gone. "Val Tech has tagged you. They planted a radioactive tracing chemical in your system along with the tranq. Our standard procedure is to make the tagged Mutate disappear." 

"We send them to another city until the tracing agent wears off." Di added with a small smile at their alarmed expressions. "But they're not Mutates," she chided Snake-eyes. 

"So the usual methods need not apply? If you're not Mutates, what are you?" 

Every pair of eyes in the room turned to Leo. "Huddle time," the blue-masked Turtle announced. The four Turtles gathered their heads together tightly and whispered while Zack, Di, and Snake-eyes pointedly ignored their conversation. 

They broke the huddle and Donnie nervously cleared his throat. "Back in 1975, a company named TGRI accidentally created a mutagen. We were exposed to it while we were baby turtles and we grew," he finished with an embarrassed shrug. 

Di's jaw dropped open, revealing her sharp fangs. "You were animals!" 

"Well, I ain't met any walking, talking plants yet," Raph replied sourly. 

Snake-eyes's clenched fist rested on his desk. "If Val Tech got their hands on that stuff!" 

"There is no more ooze," Leo interjected. "We made sure it was destroyed. Now what's got you so rattled?" 

Di took a deep breath and recovered first. "Val Tech has never been able to create higher intelligence by mutating other animals. So they use humans." 

Now it was the Turtles' turn for their jaws to drop. "Mona was a human?" Raph asked with wide-opened eyes. He let his body slack out of his on-guard stance. 

Donnie stared at Di, finding the underlying human traits beneath the cat ones. "That's just... just wrong! It's evil and unscientific." 

Di's green-gold eyes lit up, but Snake-eyes chuckled. "You got an interesting criteria for what's wrong with the world." 

Mike's eyes eagerly followed the exchange between Donnie and Di, then added his own comment. "Why?" Everyone turned to him. He settled in a chair next to the desk and continued mulling out loud. "Why go to all the trouble and expense to mutate a group of people who obviously don't want to be mutated and are mad enough about it to involve Allie? And as for Allie, you're the group she was involved with when she ran away." 

The look of astonishment on Raph and Snake-eyes' faces was worth being chased by another group of crazies to Zack. "Where did that come from?" Raph demanded. 

"Wise man say: everyone either student or teacher. Wise people become both." The deadpan delivery also infuriated them. "Al never did tell us about you. All she said was she joined up with a biker gang and got busted for being a runaway. But cops don't bust runaways like Allie was busted, and they don't personally escort them home." 

Zack had always wondered how much of the story Allie had shared with him. "But if you knew the story was fishy, why didn't you say anything?" 

"I figured she was protecting somebody. Thought it was that Skulls guy. But I guess it was you guys." 

"She understood that the world's not ready to learn about us yet." Di sighed. "I hope you can, too. Have you ever heard of Val Tech?" 

"No," Leo, Raph, Mike, and Zack chorused. 

"They're a bioengineering firm about to go global, headquarters in the U.S. Eight years ago when the CEO changed, they announced they were starting work in genetic manipulation and not much has been heard from them since," Donnie answered. And before Raph could even open his mouth, he added, "It's called reading. You should look into it." 

Raph fumed but remained silent as Di spoke. "They did work in genetic manipulation and succeeded." 

Donnie's jaw dropped. "They succeeded? Why didn't they publish? Too many people are working on genetic defects; they need all the information they can get." 

"That would expose what they have done to us to the entire world," Di answered. "Unwarranted testing on humans would get them shut down. Tabitha Val loves her power trip too much to see it end. And sharing what little information we do know on the process would put my people at risk." 

"It's a permanent structural change in the double-helix strand?" Donnie repositioned another chair in front of Snake-eyes' desk to face Di better and sat down. 

"Yes, but the change is random. The process unhooks the nucleotides and recombines them, usually activating dormant sub-structures. Enhanced human characteristics are the most common; gaining mammalian traits after that." Di looked down at her fur-covered hands and sighed. "There doesn't appear to be any way to predict the outcome of the mutation, or any way to insure that the mutation can be passed to the next generation." 

"No viable offspring?" 

The green in her eyes darkened. "There will be. I don't intend for my people to become a footnote in the history of humanity." 

"Is barrenness a side effect of the mutation process? Or is it an instability found in the altered DNA?" 

"Write your thesis later, Donnie," Raph interrupted. 

Mike rubbed his head. "Rewind a sec. This company Val Tech experimented on humans and made you guys. You escaped from the lab, got together, and now you're trying to stop them without alerting CNN?" 

"Yes, that about sums it up." Di smiled. She glanced back at Donnie and dropped her gaze suddenly. 

"Professor X would be pleased." 

"But why?" Zack glanced at Donnie before looking at Di. "Even taking the Frankenstein/mad-scientist complex as a given, what does Val Tech hope to accomplish?" 

"World domination," Snake-eyes spat out. 

Di shook her head. "That's the story they feed us during our creation and while trying to make us loyal to Val Tech. But I don't think it's the whole reason." 

"The _why_ doesn't really matter, kid. What matters is that they tear people's lives and dreams away. Mona was on her way to becoming a rock star before they got a hold of her. Now the only place she can sing is in my club for the other freaks." 

"Yeah, well, you look pretty normal," Raph said belligerently. 

The man sighed and pulled his shades off his face. He opened his eyes and cold, amber reptile eyes stared at them. A forked tongue flicked out of his mouth. "How normal do I look now?" 

"Snake-eyes is one of the lucky Mutates," Di said as he replaced his shades. "He can pass for human. Most of us can't. Some have to have special environments just to survive. The ones who escape Val Tech and decide that they can't let them continue hurting people, we call them Mutates. They usually team up with us. Sometimes norms find out about us and join our fight. Like your sister." 

"Until she got caught," Mike added. 

"It's possible they see Zack as a way to get Allie or as a way to get you guys. Either way," Snake-eyes shrugged, "It's not safe in the city for any of you." 

"We don't run from a fight," Leo said quietly. 

"It's not running. You and you," he pointed to Raph and Zack, "have been tagged. Not only do they have your DNA ID, but they've also plugged your system with a radioactive tracing chemical. The only reason they ain't converging on us is because we have these five blocks under signal scramblers." 

"You leave here, and they'll follow you back to where you live. And they'll use the ones you love to get to you. They're prepared now; they know how you fight." 

Leo watched Di calmly. "So you want us to run." 

"Choose your battlefield more carefully. If we leave tonight, the head start will be sizable." Di actually sounded like she knew what she was talking about. 

"But we give up any strategic points that comes from knowing the territory." 

"You might have less strategic points than you think. Zack has friends and family that they'll learn about with a minimum of surveillance. You have a very vocal supporter in the media. Val Tech once tried to kill off an entire precinct of cops in San Francisco to get to one of our people. How safe do you think she is? We and they'd all be safer with us on the road." 

"What's all this _we_ stuff?" Raph demanded. 

Di smiled softly. "I'm leaving tonight. More company wouldn't be a bad thing." Her eyes glanced over to Donnie and dropped away again. 

"Di, are you crazy?" Snake-eyes demanded. "Val Tech wants these guys. We can't lose you." 

"I think it'll be safe. But it's Ryan's decision. We'll be riding with the Black Bones for protection." 

"Wait a minute, we haven't agreed to do this." Raph glared at everyone. 

"Huddle," Leo said with a sigh. 

This time Zack joined in. "I think we should go." 

"They got you scared, kid?" 

He shot Raph a dirty look. "You guys have never been out of New York. A road trip sounds fun. And I don't like the sound of a group that is willing to kill off cops going after Splinter, April, and Karen. And you guys don't like it either." He added, seeing Mike's uncomfortable expression. 

"They could be good allies," Donnie mused aloud. "I think we should get to know them better." 

"You're just hot in the shell for the furball over there," Raph goaded. 

Mike came to the rescue of the stammering Donnie. "Don't you wanna know more about Mona?" 

A bleak look crossed Raph's red-masked face but was replaced quickly with a sullen expression. "Don't know why I should. She doesn't care about me." 

"Then it's settled?" Leo looked at his brothers and Zack's faces. "We're going." Raph opened his mouth to say something but the huddle broke apart before he could. Leo turned and faced Di. "All right, we'll play this your way. But there are people we need to contact." 

"Not to mention road trip supplies," Mike added. 

"First we have to see if the Black Bones mind you coming." Di stood up. Snake-eyes pantomimed washing his hands and she sighed. "Okay, no one will hold you accountable. Does that make you happy? Let's go." 

Snake-eyes led the group out of his office and back down to the third floor. The oddest group of bikers Zack had ever seen surrounded one of the tables. But he recognized the black leather jackets they wore. They sported a skull embroidered in white thread and a pair of crossed bones under it embroidered in shiny black thread outlined in white. Allie had kept a matching jacket hanging in her closet for years. __

So these guys are the Black Bones, the ones Allie ran away with, Zack thought to himself as they approached the four bikers. _Or at least the current roster. I wonder if Allie's had any contact with them? Best not to say anything. That way Raph won't hit the ceiling because we're trusting more of Allie's connections._

The girl was about Allie's age and practically Olive Oyl thin. Her leather jacket was pushed off her bony shoulders but still managed to look sexy. Her black hair was parted straight down the middle and fell flat on both sides of her head, brushing against her shoulders. The rest of her scalp was shaved. 

Sitting to her left was an older, large African-American man with a shaved head, eating. He was huge. One of the Turtles could sit on one of his shoulders with room to spare. 

On her right was a young man her same age. His light brown hair was gelled straight up, but it was too short and too clean to make much of a biker statement. 

Beside him was a scrawny runt with the largest forehead Zack had ever seen on a human. His lank, dark-red hair fell off of it in a widow's peak. He also wore thick, coke-bottle glasses that enlarged his muddy-brown eyes. 

Snake-eyes snapped his fingers and another table was added to theirs. The girl looked amused as they sat down. "See, Ryan," she drawled. "I told you he was an autocrat." 

"Rope it in, Trash," the clean-cut biker answered. He looked at Snake-eyes after glancing over the group. "Have plans changed?" 

"This is Di, your original passenger. She's the one changing things." 

The cat-girl grimaced. "He doesn't approve, but his approval isn't necessary. The boy has been tagged, along with one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Val Tech is changing procedures to get them. They need a neutral location to fight from. Chicago should do nicely." 

"Provided we get them there," Ryan added. 

"The Black Bones are the best." 

Ryan grinned, but there was only a hint of how charming it could be if he tried. "That kind of flattery worked on Skulls. It doesn't work on me." 

"Oh come on." Trash rolled her bright hazel eyes. "It sounds like fun. Doesn't it sound like fun, Eight? Smarts?" 

The large black man only grunted and continued eating. 

The eyes behind the coke-bottle glasses blinked. "Your concept of amusement is neither in conformity nor representative of the group's ideas." 

"Buzzkill," she muttered. "Don't you wanna help these people?" 

"Yeah, but not by missing something." Ryan turned his attention back to Di. "The last battle we were in took out too much of our equipment. We don't have enough firepower to go head-to-head with Val Tech, if they wanna make pests of themselves." 

Leo and Di both shook their heads at the same time. "We can fight our own battles," Leo said. 

"Just escort duty, same as for me," Di added. 

Ryan nodded thoughtfully and gazed at Leo. "You got wheels?" 

"Yeah, a van." 

"Okay, then meet us here in an hour. And be prepared to clock some mileage." 

Trash grinned and tucked some of her hair behind her ear, revealing her shaved temple. "Now that that's settled, what so special about the norm?" She jerked her thumb in Zack's direction. 

"I just have that kind of personality," Zack answered flippantly. His heart pounded. 

"Funny too. Have we met before, cutie?" 

Zack could feel his face getting hot as the Turtles snickered over him being called _cutie_. "Don't think so." 

"You look familiar." 

"Maybe you slept with his older brother," Ryan suggested scornfully. 

"Possible. I think I've slept with every male in the country except you and Smarts." 

Ryan glared at her, then turned his attention back to the Turtles. "Ignore her. We'll see you in an hour." 

"Fine," Leo answered as they started to stand. "We'll be here." 

"I wouldn't go back to where you live. Keep Val Tech from finding them," Di suggested. 

"Right, thanks." 

Mike walked beside Zack as they left the club. Donnie was off in another world. Leo and Raph were arguing. No one was going to listen to them. "You know who they are, right?" 

"Yeah," Zack answered. 

"Why didn't you say anything?" 

"And hear Raph pitch another fit? Besides, I wanna go to Chicago." 

Mike grinned. "It's gonna be an interesting trip." 

Zack returned the grin. "Yeah, but why do I think we're the only ones who'll enjoy it?" 


	5. Chapter Four: Villains Convention

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Four  
Villains Convention**  


A limousine pulled in front of the main door into the tan and blue Chicago skyscraper named Limburger Tower. A red-haired woman climbed out of the vehicle with practiced ease. A smile tugged at her full lips as the guards gaped at her short skirt and the plunging neckline of her business jacket. Sex was a tool just like anything else, and Tabitha Val could use it exceptionally well. She let the smile linger as she walked into the heavily air-conditioned lobby. 

Her personal assistant, Dr. Henry Arkson, joined her in the elevator. "The report, Ms. Val." 

Tabitha Val scanned the papers quickly. "The New York office bungled it. Put them down for a personal reprimand. Has BatWing arrived?" 

"Yes, ma'am." 

"Good. Ironic, sending one rodent out to catch another. Don't tell her I said that." 

"Of course not." The blond scientist assured soothingly. His light green eyes gleamed behind his wire-framed glasses. 

The elevator stopped on one of the upper floors. Val led the way off and down the hall to a closed, circular, metal doorway. The doors slid open with a satisfying hiss and revealed a sterile metal laboratory filled with the usual lab equipment: computer terminals that filled the walls and examination tables above which hung high-tech and grotesque vivisection tools. None of it interfered with the spaciousness created by the high ceiling. 

A man wearing a white lab coat and green goggles with black lenses started toward them, rubbing his black-gloved hands together. He was as tall as Val but his thin stature and stooped shoulders gave him the illusion of smallness. His large head bobbed in greeting and the wire inserted into the side of it kept the odd rhythm. 

Val walked right up to him then past as he paused, enjoying the echoing noise made by her high heels on the metal floor. She aimed for the tracking computer. "Dr. Karbunkle," she said in lieu of a traditional greeting. She immediately adjusted the machine upon reaching it. "The radioactive isotope you supplied us is much better than our previous one." The computer screen narrowed in on two blips. "They would have arrived sooner but apparently that detour around Detroit took longer than anticipated." 

"But they avoided that Motor City maniac," Karbunkle muttered, "an advantageous use of time." 

"Yes, you'd lose your new-found upper-hand if he were to learn about what is going on here." Val's hazel eyes glittered. "They should be arriving around eight p.m., if they keep to their current speed." 

"And my goons will be in place waiting for them." A section of the ceiling floated down to settle on the floor. 

A misshapen midget, possessing an arm, a tentacle, a pair of dog's legs, and a tail, scurried underneath it and screamed with ecstasy when it flattened him. "Oh the joy," he cried in contentment. 

Lawrence Lactavius Limburger stepped off the free-floating elevator and turned to gaze at Val with cold eyes. The only business partner she had not needed to persuade with her special talents. But it promised to be a profitable alliance, nonetheless. "I trust that you have not forgotten your end of the bargain," Limburger continued. 

"Mr. Limburger, I never promise what I can't deliver." She pinned the massive male in the purple business suit with a glare that made weaker fools' knees quake. "You will capture my quarry from New York with your mutated army. And I will capture these Martian mice and extract their DNA." 

He carelessly waved a white-gloved hand. "I don't care what you do to those rampaging rodents as long as it is excruciatingly painful and I get to watch. Is everything in place?" 

The door slid open again, this time depositing a hulk of a man dressed in blue-jean overalls, dripping black oil from his body and an extremely muscular young woman. She would have made an excellent bodybuilder except for the brown fur covering her skin, the black leathery wings extending from her back, the large ears covering the sides of her head, and the oversized sunglasses protecting her large, luminous eyes. Val smiled, "This is BatWing. I trust my more delicate assignments to her. The ones that don't require scientific knowledge." She turned to face BatWing. "Do you have any questions?" 

"Just how many mice are there currently?" BatWing's nose twitched in irritation. "The reports kept varying." 

"Four now," Limburger answered, "all male. Three adults--chronologically at least--and a child." 

BatWing nodded once. "And the address of this Last Chance Garage was not provided." 

Karbunkle pulled a pen and pad out of the pocket of his lab coat and scribbled on it, passing the sheet to BatWing. BatWing took the address from Karbunkle with a disdainful sniff. "Any other instructions?" She turned to Val. 

Val's lips split into a predator's grin. "Try not to rough them up too much." The bat/human girl nodded and left the lab through the sliding metal doors. Val wiped the smile off her face and turned to Limburger. "BatWing is taking care of the mice. Your goons are ambushing the fugitives from New York. Are you sure they understand what to do?" 

Limburger sighed with weary patience. "The leaky lubricated lummox is staying here, so there is less chance for a screw-up." 

The big lug that had come into the lab with BatWing pulled the red cap off his bald head. "Aw please, Mr. Limburger? Why can'ts I go? Youse said I could have another chance." 

"You want the human that is emitting the radioactive signal and at least one of those turtle creatures alive. After that, take as many alive as they can. My goons understand that completely," Limburger finished. 

"Then I leave it in your hands." Val's sharp eyes darted around the lab. "What about the facilities promised my scientists?" 

"Of course, this way." Limburger led the way through a maze of corridors to another corner of the building. The lab was laid out like Karbunkle's but there was only one computer terminal and one wall supported the doors to a row of cells. "There are additional holding areas on the floor below. And this is your private elevator down to the lobby and parking garage." His fat finger pointed out another set of sliding metal doors. "Is there anything else you require, Ms. Val?" 

His oily tone nearly made her shudder, but she controlled body. "It is adequate, Mr. Limburger. Is there anything else you require?" 

"No, no, I'll just leave you and your assistant to settle in." 

Arkson frowned as Limburger left. "I don't trust that squid." 

"He's a fish, not a squid," Val corrected absently. "But we don't have to worry about him, as long as we both get what we want. The way to survive their invasion is to create a product they want--namely, an enhanced army that can pummel any other race into submission." 

Her eyes gleamed as her hand brushed seductively against the examining table. "And getting back at that damned terrorist makes everything we have to put up with worthwhile." Val grinned predatorily. All the labs she had destroyed, the experiments ruined by her and her gang of bikers; she made her mistake in San Diego and got tagged. They had lost track of her in San Francisco and waited in vain for nearly four years for her to make another mistake. And now it had happened, in New York City of all places. And she was running straight for Tabitha Val's vengeance. 

"So worthwhile," she murmured. 

* * *

Limburger returned to Karbunkle's lab. "Such a wickedly ruthless woman. Makes me feel positively warm-blooded." He entertained the brief fantasy of her dealing efficiently with High Chairman Camembert. While amusing, it was far too dangerous to ever take place. The great and glorious Plutarkian Empire would probably find itself ruled by a woman and an alien woman, at that. "What do you make of her, Doctor?" 

"I wouldn't double-cross her, your moldy mozzarella-ness," Karbunkle oozed as he rubbed his gloved hands together. 

"Quite right. However all we need to do to keep her happy is capture these fugitives and give her space to conduct her experiments. How are the mutated goons performing?" 

Karbunkle consulted his computer. "Reflexes, coordination, and strength have all improved. Possibly on par with the Biker Mice now. There has been no improvement in intelligence, but then, it's a mutating agent, not a miracle drug." 

"Oh well, can't have everything. I'll be in my office, Karbunkle." 

GreasePit intercepted Limburger on the way to climb back on the elevator. The big lug was on his knees with hands clasped. "Aw please, Boss. Why can'ts I go beat up these guys from New York?" 

"Because I have another job for you, my dear boy. I want you to follow that BatWing creature. Perhaps you'll learn something." 

"Oh gees, thanks Mr. Limburger! I won'ts lets you down," the oily oaf promised as he ran to the lab door. Right before he reached it, he slipped on an oil puddle and slid out into the hall with a startled cry. 

"Fortunately, I don't have very high hopes for him to dash," Limburger replied with a sigh as he climbed back on the floating elevator and rode it up to his office. 


	6. Chapter Five: Who Invited Her, Anyway?

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Five  
Who Invited Her, Anyway?**

"This sucks." Sparks' voice rose petulantly. "Betcha they're havin all sorts of fun without me." 

Charley Davidson grinned while the raised hood of the Ford Taurus hid her head. _I know emotions are universal, but I didn't think school complaints would be too._ She bent further over and started tightening a belt. "Well, if you hadn't procrastinated all day, you could be joyriding now." 

"Yeah, I know, I know. But it's hard to concentrate at the scoreboard." 

"A Biker Mouse's Never-never Land," Charley muttered as she surveyed her work. The few times she had caught the guys doing something seris, she had brought it their bachaelor pad. 

"Something like that," Modo's eight-year-old son admitted. "Why didn't you go with them? The garage is closed." 

"Someone has to be your example of a work ethic." She stood up and stretched her back. "Crank it for me." 

The grey-furred mouse child hopped off the workstation's stool and eagerly climbed behind the wheel. Charley pushed her red-brown bangs off her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. The engine turned over and sounded perfect. She gave Sparks the signal to shut off the car. He did and joined her side. "Sounds a lot better now." 

"Worth at least three hundred bucks." She slammed the hood closed. "Maybe three-fifty." 

He looked up at the woman thoughtfully. "They leave you behind; they leave me behind. Maybe we should do something and leave them behind." 

She grinned. Here on Earth for about a week and he was already figuring out how things worked. "It's not getting you out of your homework tonight, but keep it in mind for later." 

"Slave driver," he muttered as he headed back to the books. 

"Show some gratitude! I arranged for your education." She headed into the garage's bathroom to wash off her greasy hands. She heard two motorcycles roll inside the garage bay and shut off. 

As Charley walked back out, Vinnie was snickering. "Your kid's a nerd, Modo." The two adult mice climbed off their bikes. Modo clenched his metal fist as Vinnie bounced around the garage. 

Sparks scowled, and his grey tail lashed angrily as he leaned further over the books laid open on the workstation's table. 

"Big talk for someone who never finished school." The taller, grey-furred mouse rumbled at Vinnie before laying his flesh hand on Sparks' shoulder. "How's it goin'?" 

"Hello! The Plutarkians blew up the school," the white-furred mouse interjected. 

Sparks shrugged, ignoring Vinnie. "It's okay, just boring." 

"Where's Throttle?" Charley asked. 

"Doin' recon." Vinnie spied an unopened bottle of root beer alone on the table, decided it was cold enough upon grabbing it, and chugged some down. "We crossed paths with a mean-lookin biker gang. They're probably just passin' through, but Throttle decided to keep 'em under surveillance. Just in case they get the bright idea to go work for the Big Cheese." 

Her heart began to pound, and she honestly couldn't understand why. "Alone?" 

"Well, one mouse stands out a lot less than three, sweetheart. And you can't hide my studly glory." The white-furred mouse proudly flexed the pec muscles under his green bandoleers. 

"Not to mention your swelled head," Sparks added. 

"Behave." Modo swatted Sparks' ear. "You're supposed to respect your elders--even the ones less mature than you." 

"Hey!" Vinnie's face darkened with indignation. "I am way more mature than that punk!" 

"Prove it," Modo retorted. 

Charley ignored them and took a deep breath, which did nothing to quell her fear. _Why am I so panicked? Throttle can take care of himself. Modo and Vinnie aren't worried._ "Are you sure he's okay?" 

Vinnie turned away from his argument with Modo. "He ain't called for help yet. They ended up at a bar a few blocks away." __

They didn't see those Internal Security guards pound on him. Her hands started to shake slightly. _And what if this biker gang has another Jimmy Mac. Throttle's still not healed up from last week!_ She tried to ignore the desire to chase after him. _Throttle can take care of himself. I'd just get in his way. But if he's hurt and can't call for help?_ She couldn't hear anything but the blood pounding in her ears. She jumped on her blue and white bike and started the engine. 

"Charley-girl, where you goin'?" Vinnie yelled. 

Modo tried to flag her down. "He really is okay!" 

Charley ignored them as she peeled her bike out into the street. There was only one bar in the neighborhood, Pete's Chi-Town Tavern. She headed straight to it. 

It didn't do any good to remember how he looked crumpled on the cell floor. The wind against her body wasn't the source of Charley's chill. Throttle had never said exactly what they did to him because of her. She clenched her teeth. Nobody was going to hurt her man again, not as long as she could stop them. 

She was rewarded by spotting Throttle's bike. It was at the end of a bike row in the neighboring lot serving as Pete's parking lot. She parked her bike next to his, left her helmet on her bike, and gave the black bike's chrome handlebars a pat as she moved past it. She rushed to the main door of the bar. _Please let him be okay! Please!_

Her door-banging arrival caused all the heads in the bar to turn toward her. Most of the faces belonged to a group of ten bikers--ugly, dirty, and mean. A few regular customers she recognized at the bar quickly turned away in disinterest. Throttle sat in a booth where he could watch the bikers clustered around the pool tables and the front door. Charley felt her face go scarlet as she hurried to the tan-furred Martian mouse. 

He wore his helmet but she could see his expression go from curious to concerned as she got closer. She sat down next to him in the booth. "What's wrong?" he asked. 

"What's wrong is that I'm a complete idiot. The second I heard you were off alone, I... I had to see if you were all right." She stared down at the table, too embarrassed to continue. 

Throttle touched the buttoned-up collar of her blue work shirt where it hid the fading bruise around her throat. His fingers gently reached for her chin and turned her face to his. She could still see the last bit of swelling on his cheek under his left eye. "I worry about you too," he said softly. 

She sighed in relief. "I thought I was going to get the whole macho-mouse-can-take-care-of-himself speech." 

"Not after last week." He gently brushed his lips against hers then pressed down harder. Charley pressed one hand against his chest, held the chin guard out of the way with the other, and opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. Throttle's fingers began to tangle themselves in the hair at the base of her skull as his tongue gently moved inside her mouth. She was just about to surrender completely to his reassuring kiss when a commotion at the door caught his eye and he pulled back. "Oh no." 

She turned and saw Vinnie and Modo heading inside. "Because of what Exhaust did to 'em last week, Einstein," Modo said derisively as they walked up to the bar counter. "Sometimes you don't have the brains the makers gave our bikes." 

"First it's your kid, now it's the bikes. You're askin' for it, Modo!" 

Charley turned back to Throttle. "Want me to get them out of here?" She asked in a low voice. "It's my fault they're here." 

"That would look more suspicious. Nah, we'll go with the we-planned-to-meet-here look. Besides," he tucked his left arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Now that you're here, I don't want you to go." 

"That's my smooth talker." She grabbed the chin-guard of his helmet and pulled him down for another kiss. 

"Well, now we know why you kept the strays." A cheerful male voice said down at them. 

"Excuse me?" Throttle scowled up at the sixty-year-old black-haired man with a curly black and grey beard. 

He laughed at Throttle's expression as Modo joined them at the booth. "Your usual, Charley?" 

"Yes, Pete, thanks." She was blushing again as Throttle and Modo now stared at her. Pete laughed and went to fix her order. 

"You know him, Charley-ma'am?" The large grey mouse ventured from across the table. 

"I've been coming here since I was old enough to drink. Best ladies night in town, free." 

Vinnie bounded over to the table from the jukebox and slid in next to Modo. "He made those ladies pay?" He jerked a white thumb at the women leaving the bar. 

"They ain't ladies, punk." Pete set a frothy beer mug in front of Charley. "Don't blame her for the 'strays' comment. That's just my interpretation of it. And it was a couple of years ago, and you fellows weren't making a great second-hand impression." 

Charley felt her face grow hotter. _This is what I get for trying to find some sympathy._ "You're not helping, Pete." 

The older man chuckled. "She was annoyed over how you guys had treated her and came here to bitch about it." 

"Annoyed with us?" Vinnie looked hurt. "But you love us, Sweetheart?" 

"Yeah, I love when you guys toss me off your bikes, don't let me fight, eat all my groceries, complain if I ask you to do something." Charley muttered and took a large gulp of her beer. 

"She hasn't come by lately," Pete added. 

"I've learned to live with it," she muttered. 

"Actually, I had a favor to ask you, Lene." The older man dropped his teasing tone and lowered his voice. "Are you planning to stay a while?" 

Throttle glanced at the group of bikers he had followed to the bar. "Expecting trouble from them?" 

Pete shrugged. "They just seem to be looking for a good time of drunken rowdiness. All the same, I don't have the funds for recuperating from a bar brawl this week." 

"We can stick around for a bit, can't we?" Charley glanced up at Throttle. 

"We're keeping an eye on them anyway. We'll stick around." 

"Great, I'll get you another round." 

Modo gazed at Charley curiously with his good eye as Pete left. "Lene?" 

She took another hearty swig from the mug. "Pete is an old friend of my father's. They used to ride together, way back when. What took you guys so long? I figured you'd be right behind me." Hopefully, that explanation would forestall any discussion about her father. 

Vinnie's thumb pointed to Modo. "Dad here had to get reassured at least five times that Sparks could handle phone calls, homework, and supper without blowing up the garage." 

"Well maybe if you had some concerned parents when you were Sparks' age, you'd be normal," Modo countered. 

"Instead of a living legend? Who wants that?" 

* * *

Sparks slammed the notebook closed with a victorious cheer. "Finished!" He looked out of the open garage bay door. It had been getting dark when Charley had torn out of the building, and now it was really dark. He hopped off the stool and pulled the lever to close the door. The large sheet of metal rumbled into place as he considered what to do. Dad and Vinnie hadn't known how long they were going to be, so it was supper and entertainment for one tonight. Rummaging through Charley's pantry and video collection was his pick. 

Humming to himself, he headed through the swinging door and into the kitchen. Dad--it still felt weird to think of his larger look-alike that way--hadn't wanted to leave him alone. _Like he was afraid it was the wrong thing to do._

Sparks paused his rooting through Charley's canned goods to think about that. _I guess being a dad is overwhelming. I should try to make it easier on him._ He scratched under his grey-furred jaw as he thought. _I'll try not to fight with Vinnie so much. No matter how easy it is._

With that resolution, he had bent inside the pantry to resume hunting for supper when he heard a loud thump on the floor above. The boy froze, straining his ears to hear something identifiable. They did but it didn't make him feel better--footsteps. 

Sparks eased back out of the pantry and into the garage. He could leave and let Charley's place get robbed. Or he could sneak up the trapdoor and try to identify the intruder. _What would a Biker Mouse do? Get this wrenchhead!_ He was light enough not to cause the ladder to creak and the trapdoor was open. Once he climbed through the door in the floor, his red eyes darted around Charley's empty and neat bedroom. She kept a gun somewhere up here but he couldn't remember where. 

"Well, so much for taking the human by surprise." A vaguely female shape stepped through the open door to the living room. "Hello, what have we here?" 

She was as tall as Throttle and her leathery black wings extended about a foot over her head. Thick muscles were clearly visible under her coarse brown fur. She wore a black one-piece bathing suit. Large, triangular ears covered the sides of her head. Her misshapen, human nose was turned up to more of a flat snout, and her large, luminous, brown eyes focused on him. __

She looks like she's part bat. Sparks gulped and took a step back as he wished he hadn't talked Vinnie into renting that vampire movie a couple of nights ago. _She could be an extra for it._ He took a half-step back. "You're trespassin'!" 

Her mouth opened in a grin that revealed her fangs. "Am I? And you're going to throw me out?" Her chuckles sent shivers down Sparks' back and through his tail. "Home alone, hmm? I thought the human would make good bait, but I guess you'd do just as well." 

He inched back. "You have to catch me first!" He jumped back and down through the trapdoor as she lunged forward. 

He fell about halfway when a sudden jerk followed by a sharp pain at the base of his tail brought him to an abrupt stop. He craned his head and looked up. The bat-lady had grabbed his tail. "That wasn't so hard, little boy." She grinned down at him, kneeling on the floor above, and started to swing him. 

"Build a better mousetrap!" Sparks wrapped his tail around her arm and pulled himself right-side-up. Then he sank his teeth into her forearm. 

She screamed as his teeth tore through her fur and skin and into her muscle. Her hand jerked open. 

Sparks let go and somersaulted in the air to land on his feet. _Boy, am I glad Roddie insisted on gymnastics!_ He spat blood out of his mouth as he ran into the garage's office. Her shrieks were starting to make his head throb. _I have to find Dad and the others!_ He ran out of the office through the street door and headed in the direction Charley had turned her bike. A bar a couple of blocks away was what Vinnie had said. Sparks ran faster. 

He heard crashing glass behind him and risked a glance. The bat-lady had crashed through Charley's bedroom window and hovered in the air on her rapidly beating wings. "Cheese, she can fly!" Sparks pumped his arms harder and ran closer to the crumbled buildings. 

She laughed down at him. "Run! It makes catching you all the sweeter!" 

* * *

"What exactly did you tell him about us?" Throttle gestured his head in Pete's direction. 

Vinnie watched Charley and Throttle without trying to watch them carefully. _Throttle is way too obsessed with us keeping a low profile. After everything we've done to stop Limburger, the city should designate us as national treasures or something._

"Only that you were here to stop Limburger and needed my help to get around Chicago." Charley gave him a small smile. "I left out the furry Martian bit, not that I think it would bother Pete any." 

Vinnie banged his head lightly to the beat of the Metallica song he had picked on the jukebox. "If that's true, how come you never brought us here, Sweetheart?" 

"I didn't want Pete suddenly taking your side." She was drinking her second mug full of beer a lot slower. "You guys are overwhelming enough without any help." 

Throttle frowned. "Charley, if we were bugging you that much, all you had to do was say something." 

"No, I didn't mean it like that." She grabbed hold of his tan-furred hand with the leather and metal band wrapped around his wrist and squeezed it. "It wasn't just you guys. Believe it or not, even your faults get endearing after a while. I'd come here to get away from all the stress: Limburger, trying to keep the garage going, villains trying to kill us every other week. Sometimes I just had to hide away from it all, here." 

Throttle took his hand back and eased his left arm around her shoulders, taking hold of her left hand. "I think you just explained how we feel about your garage, babe." 

"Yeah," Modo agreed, "don't worry about it. We understand." 

"After all, everybody needs some time out to appreciate us even more." Vinnie grinned at her. The song ended and the next selection began to play. He scowled at the jukebox. "That's not what I picked." 

"Sorry," Pete stopped by their booth. "The jukebox hasn't worked right since the last brawl in here." 

"It's okay. Song's got a beat," Vinnie shrugged. 

"You're a Europe fan, Vinnie?" Charley teased. 

"I like 'Final Countdown', all right?"   
  
**_Tell me the story  
Tell me the legend  
Tell me the tales of war  
Tell me just one time  
What it was like before  
Bring me the feeling  
Right in that moment  
When a heart for battle cries  
Find me the treasure  
Where the legend lies_**

Charley didn't try to bait him, so he let his gaze wander around the bar, finally coming to rest on the girl coming in the door. And he let his red eyes open wide in appreciation. 

She was dressed all in black: black calf-high combat boots and black tights that ran up her shapely legs to a pair of equally tight black denim cut-off shorts. He could see a glimpse of the loose black shirt and the skin-tight black something underneath the black leather motorcycle jacket she had buttoned around her waist. Her blonde hair--a hue so much lighter than Tala's it almost matched Vinnie's white fur by comparison--brushed against her shoulders. She stepped inside, hesitating as if unsure of her welcome.   
  
**_If I were noble, ancient knight  
I'd stand by your side to rule and fight  
It will always feel the same  
When I call out your name  
Ninja survive  
In dreams I walk by your side  
Ninja survive  
With you there's no need to hide_**

"I don't believe it." Pete muttered upon seeing her. "Paint me red and call me a commie." He dropped his serving tray on their table and strode up to the newcomer. 

"Who is she?" Vinnie asked Charley. 

"I've never seen her before."   
  
**_A handful of sayings  
Are more than a reason  
For me to feel this way  
I'd like to be near you  
Maybe for just one day  
  
So tell me the legend  
Tell me the story  
Tell me the tales of war  
Tell me just one time  
What it was like before_**

He heard her but he kept his appraising eye on the stranger. The boots added to her height, but she was still shorter than Charley, about five-feet-five-inches. She had moved closer and he could make out her sky-blue eyes. And only three diagonal scars across her left cheek marred her beautiful face. _Wouldn't want to piss her off._

Charley's voice broke into his thoughts. "What does Tala think of you checking out every girl that walks by?" 

He turned and gave the mechanic a dirty look. "Am I doing something wrong?" 

"You're drooling in your beer," Throttle pointed out. 

Vinnie flicked his eyes back over to the strange girl and Pete's conversation. They were chatting like old friends, but there was aloofness about her. _Taken. Wonder who the lucky bastard is. She looks worth it._   
  
**_If I were noble, ancient knight  
I'd stand by your side to rule and fight  
It will always feel the same  
When I call out your name  
Ninja survive  
In dreams I walk by your side  
Ninja survive  
With you there's no need to hide_**

He turned his attention back to Charley and Throttle. "First off, there's no harm in lookin'. And if there was, Tala couldn't say anything because there's nothing permanent between us, by her choice." He took a swallow of beer. "Besides, she's off-planet right now." 

"The truth finally comes out," Throttle smirked as he leaned back in his seat. 

"Whose side are you on?" Vinnie muttered. Pete started leading the girl up to the bar counter. Vinnie's eyebrows rose as he saw the knives in her boots and caught a glimpse of a sharp steel weapon peeking out from the bottom of her jacket. 

Throttle's eyebrows rose over his field-specs. "Lots of weapons for a civilian." 

Charley frowned. "Two knives?" 

"Plus the stuff she's hiding under her jacket," Modo added quietly. 

Charley's expression was rather incredulous until she saw the white human skull and black crossbones embroidered on the back of the jacket. "She's a Bone!" She sounded surprised, but kept her voice low. 

"A Bone?" Modo's red eyes looked puzzled. 

"The Black Bones were the baddest of the bad biker gangs a generation ago. Apparently someone's continuing the tradition." 

"A biker babe, huh?" Vinnie drained his beer bottle. "That's one girl that wouldn't have any problem tellin' a guy 'I'm unavailable'." 

Modo looked down at Vinnie curiously and a little shocked. "You never noticed stuff like that before." 

"Yeah, I did. It's just no woman can resist the charms of the Casanova of Mars." Five eyes rolled simultaneously. "Except maybe that one," he added honestly. 

She took a drink from Pete as she leaned up against the bar. Pete moved down to the other end to wash some dishes. One of the bikers lurched to his feet and made his way to her side. Vinnie tensed. "Could be trouble." 

"Yeah," Throttle agreed, sitting more upright. He moved his arm off Charley's shoulders to down around her waist. He gripped her hips and pulled her into his lap. She started to make a protesting noise and he hushed her as he shifted across the padded bench and set her down on his other side, looking across the table at Modo. 

"I could've just stood up," she whispered at him angrily. 

"Not as much fun." He lowered his field specs and winked at her reddening face. 

The drunken biker reached the girl in black's side and grabbed her arm. "How's bout a dance baby?" 

She set her drink down on the bar. "How about you getting lost, creep?" 

The guy tightened his grip on her arm and jerked her around to face him and the rest of the bar. "I asked you for a dance, bitch!" 

"And I turned you down." Her voice was cold but she made no move to remove his hand. 

"That's my cue." Vinnie slid out of the booth and sauntered toward the bar. The other members of the biker gang stood up and moved closer, getting in between Vinnie and the booth. "Hey there, citizen. The lady said _no_." 

"Butt out!" The drunk let go of her arm, stepped closer, and took a swing at the white-furred mouse. Vinnie ducked it easily, but couldn't dodge the kick from one of the bikers on the sidelines. He flew back, landing painfully on his ass and losing his helmet. 

Charley, Throttle, and Modo winced in sympathy. "He does a lot better when there's no girl to impress, doesn't he?" Charley commented. 

"Yep," Modo and Throttle chorused. 

The girl in black glared at the drunk who had accosted her. "Fine, I'll dance with you." 

The drunk turned around in time to take a combat boot to the side of his head. Her roundhouse kick also hit the guy that kicked Vinnie in the jaw. Both of them fell back. 

She stood on both feet and gazed down at them in pity. "I'm sorry. You're not familiar with the kung-fu high step?" 

"Get the bitch!" Two more bikers rushed toward her. 

"Coming to this town does wonders for your self-esteem," she quipped as she dodged the badly swung blow. Her open palm hit the center of his chest and threw him back. 

Vinnie climbed to his feet with a growl. He tapped one of the bikers on a leather-clad shoulder and punched his lights out when he turned around. "You wrenchheads need to learn how to fight." 

The girl grabbed hold of the bar and kicked out with both her legs as she rolled on her hips. Her feet knocked three heads together and she sat on the bar surveying her work. "You know I wanted to take ballet. Mom insisted on karate." 

The six men she had hit were shakily reaching their feet. Vinnie's punching bag stayed down. One of the three that hadn't been hit growled as he pulled out a switchblade. "I'm gonna make your face match!" 

Light flashed off the metal she pulled from her belt as he rushed forward. The weapon in her right hand grabbed the knife blade and slammed it down against the countertop. The matching weapon, which looked like a hand-held trident, came up under the biker's chin. He tried to step back but found that she had locked her legs around him. So he tilted his head back to get it away from the point of the long middle prong. 

Her cold voice dropped ten more degrees. "A very bad man did this to my face and I ended up killing him. You are no where near his league, so why don't you just take your pals and go? Or do I have to leave you with some kind of scar to teach you what a lady means by saying _no_?" 

He craned his head further back to gulp. "We'll go!" 

She released her legs and withdrew the weapon under his chin. "I'll keep this," she gestured at the switchblade. 

"Yeah, sure, fine!" He kept moving backwards, stumbling into the other members of his gang. Three of them grabbed their unconscious member off the floor and followed him to the door. A few seconds later, they were all gone. 

She sighed, reached over, picked up her glass, and gulped the contents. "Hate fighting stupid drunks. They never know when to back down." 

Pete whistled in admiration at the other end of the bar. "Someone's been teaching you new tricks." 

"It's old dogs that can't learn new tricks," she fired back with warmth returning to her voice. She turned to Vinnie. "Buy you a drink to say thanks?" 

"Why?" The white-furred mouse scratched the back of his head. "You took care of those guys all by yourself." 

"I don't have a trash can lid handy. Ah forget it. You tried to help; that's more than most people do where I'm from." She grabbed the beer bottle that Pete slid down the counter to her and held it out to him. Her face was hardened and still shook up about something. _Not the fight, not with the way she whipped tail._ But the small smile she gave showed that the problem wasn't with him. "Allie Baker." __

Anyone offerin' beer can't be bad. He bounded over to her side and took the offered drink. "Vinnie the Velocity Atrocity, the baddest mammajammer this side of the asteroid belt, and the studliest hero on this planet. An honor, of course." 

"Naturally." Allie grinned up at him, friendly, relieved, and not a bit flirtatious. Not that Vinnie was the slightest bit interested. Having romantic ties to one girl that could kick his ass was enough. She brought up her empty glass and clinked it against the beer bottle. "Here's to a successful round of ass-kicking." 

"Cheers," Vinnie chugged some of the beer. "Did your mom really insist on karate lessons?" 

"No, but it sounded good. Is it always this exciting around here? This was my second fight in less than four hours." 

"If you can't stand the heat, stay out of Chi-town. Where do you hail from?" 

"New York City. And the scum is just as nasty. Hey Pete, when are you gonna have a better class of scum patronize your place?" 

Pete continued cleaning glasses at the other end of the bar. "The best class of scum in Chicago is Limburger's goons, and they've been compelled not to come back." He laughed, "They made the mistake of coming here to force me to sell out on teep night." 

"Limburger? I don't remember that name from the last time I passed through." Her sky-blue eyes turned thoughtfully to Pete, but the bartender didn't add anything to his statement. 

"So are you just passing through now?" Vinnie asked conversationally. No sense ruining a good time talking about Limburger. 

"Depends. I'm actually looking for someone." 

"Skulls moved to Forsaken," Pete threw out. 

"Forsaken? What in the world is he doing there?" 

"He retired." 

"Retired? Skulls?" Allie demanded. 

The black-haired, bearded man shrugged. "San Diego took a lot out of him." 

"San Diego was a bad scene," she said quietly. Her hand brushed against the raised scars on her left cheek. "But I wasn't really looking for him. Has the Priest passed through lately?" 

Pete looked up sharply. "The Shaolin? How do you... forget it, you know everybody. Nope, he hasn't been in this town since you were here last." 

Allie shrugged. "Oh well. Didn't think he had been but you have to ask." She picked up her strange weapons and started to put them back under her jacket. 

Vinnie's curiosity burst. "What are those things?" 

"This?" She twirled it in her fingers. "A sai, basically a dagger you can wrap around a sword blade." It disappeared under her jacket. "I'm still learning them. Now my boyfriend's brother, he's an expert." She leaned over the counter and grabbed a soft drink out of the bucket of ice. "Now are we ignoring your friends at the booth or are you trying to win a bet?" 

"Oh yeah. Come meet my bros." He led the way back to the booth, snatching up his helmet with his tail without breaking stride. Allie snagged a chair from a nearby table and pulled it up to the end of the booth's table while Vinnie began introductions. "This is Modo," he pointed to the larger grey-furred mouse. "Throttle." The tan-furred mouse saluted her discreetly with his beer bottle. "And Charley." The human woman smiled and nodded in greeting. "Bros, this is Allie Baker from New York." 

Throttle swallowed his beer. "Efficient work with those wrenchheads." 

"Thanks." Allie turned the chair's back to the table and straddled it while Vinnie plopped down on the bench next to Modo. "Those guys weren't anybody important, were they?" she asked. 

"Nah, as far as we know," Modo answered. "Where'd you learn to fight like that, ma'am?" 

Allie's eyebrows went up at being called _ma'am_. "It runs in my family. And my boyfriend gave me a few pointers." Her eyes went wistful for a second but she regained control of herself. "Enough about me. Why does Chi-town look like a war zone?" 

* * *

Sparks crouched and panted in the rubble of a building and watched a group of bikers tear out of the bar like they had whiffed a Plutarkian fart. He pushed his grey bangs out of his red eyes as he scanned the dark sky for the bat lady. He didn't see her and the bikers rode off--leaving Throttle, Charley, Vinnie, and Dad's bikes alone in the parking lot. He had found the right bar. And now was a good time to run for it. 

He took a deep breath and sprinted for the front door of the building under the neon sign "Pete's Chi-town Tavern". Halfway across the street, a figure descended into his path. She grabbed his upper arms in a vice-like grip. The bat lady's large brown eyes narrowed. "You hurt me," she hissed. "No one has ever managed to do that before. I hope you can still take pride in that accomplishment when I tear your ears off!" 

"Not gonna happen, lady!" Her bony fingers dug painful into his arms, but he stubbornly refused to let her see the pain. 

"Oh really? Ever the optimist?" She glanced over her shoulder at the bar. "Or maybe you think some kind-hearted bikers are going to come to your rescue? I'd like to see that happen." 

Sparks grinned. "Okay. **DAD!**" 

* * *

__

Now this is an interesting turn of events. Allie sipped her soft drink as she considered the group in front of her. _I think I have officially seen everything now. Giant, two-legged, talking mice with antennae--and bikers too, judging from their clothes and helmets. But where in the world did they come from?_

Allie studied them carefully. Despite finding them in Pete's, she didn't think they were Mutates. There were cases of Mutates getting the same physical features, but they were rare and usually had major differences between them. And the mechanical wing the one called Modo was sporting was more high-tech than the Mutates' medicine allowed. __

As Sammie would say, the drool factor is very high. All three of them had finely muscular physiques. And despite Vinnie's earlier lack-luster fighting display, she was willing to bet that they were accomplished fighters. And they had the physical scars to bear this conclusion. 

Not only did the largest grey mouse have an entire right arm made of metal divided into boxy segments; an eye patch covered his left eye. A shiny metal mask that contorted with his facial expressions protected the right side of Vinnie's face. The tan-furred mouse had green shades over his partially swollen face, looking like he had been in a fight last week. 

The mice and their norm companion were still trying to decide how to answer Allie's question or if they should when a child's shrill cry reverberated in the bar. "**DAD!**" 

Modo's head jerked up like he had been shot. "Sparks!" His face took on a determined, focused, and angry expression. He started to rise up. 

Allie grabbed hold of the green bandoleer crossing Vinnie's right shoulder and yanked. The white-furred mouse slid out of the booth and Allie spun them both out of Modo's charging path. The practically seven-foot-tall mouse crossed the bar in a few strides and thrust open the main door. "Let go of my son!" 

Allie released Vinnie before he dragged her to the door. He bounded after Modo with Throttle and Charley following. "Never a dull moment," the blonde girl muttered as she joined them. "I feel like I'm back in New York." 

Charley glanced down at her. "Welcome to our insanity." 

From outside, a familiar female voice said mockingly. "You didn't say _pretty please_." 

Modo raised his mechanical right arm as he stepped out into the street. "Pretty." A rectangular canon popped up out of the forearm. "Please," he growled as his bros flanked him. 

"My, my, aren't we impressive." 

Allie frowned. She knew that voice, had impressed it into her memory to always know it. Why couldn't she remember a name? 

"So you're the Biker Mice from Mars," the voice continued. "Can't see what the big deal is about." 

Allie eased around Vinnie. A four-foot-tall grey-furred mouse stared with wide-opened eyes at the larger mouse he resembled. Two muscular arms wrapped around him, one around his chest and arms and the other around his throat. The arms belonged to a Vex and the name finally clicked. "BatWing!" 

The brown, furry face turned and focused on the human girl. "You! But if you're here, who have we been chasing from New York?" 

Allie felt the blood drain from her face. Val Tech had made mistakes before identifying tagged people--usually between siblings. Luckily, Throttle broke in. "Let the kid go." He gestured with the funny-looking, purple pistol in his left hand. 

BatWing glanced at him, then looked back at Allie. "Hell, one's better than none." The grip of her arms tightened and her large, leathery wings flexed. 

"No!" The kid struggled and kicked. 

"Sparks!" Modo bellowed in anguish as his son was pulled into the sky. He kept his arm canon trained on them but didn't dare take a shot. "Li'l Hoss!" and his bros whistled. Charley ran for the bikes in the parking lot. 

At the shout and whistles, three of the four bikes parked nearby roared to life. Allie stared as the purple Fatboy, red racing bike, and a classic Softail--only missing the Harley Davidson logo--screeched up to the helmeted mice. Modo jumped on the purple Fatboy and raced after BatWing and her prisoner, followed closely by Vinnie on the red racer. Throttle swung onto the black and chrome bike while it continued to move and she made her decision. She sprinted and jumped on the back of Throttle's bike, wrapping her arms around his waist. 

Throttle twisted his head to look at her briefly. "Who invited you?" 

"I know the ugly that's got the kid and that's a hundred percent more than you know. You still want to send me home?" She yelled back. 

"We don't take civilians into battle." 

"Do you really think I'm a civilian or are you using that line instead of _girls can't fight_?" 

"I just don't want to make my girl jealous," he muttered, easing up on the bike's throttle. 

Allie grinned and leaned back, loosening her hold around his waist. "Why didn't you say so, Martian?" He stiffened more. _'Biker Mice from Mars' is what BatWing called them. Well, her information was dead-on. And people say I already know just about everybody; now I can add aliens to the list. What's he so nervous about?_ She had to choke back a laugh. _He probably thinks I'll turn them in to the government or something!_ "Trust me, I'm not going to turn you guys over to the government. Damn, my boyfriend fits the green man profile better than you guys, and Area 51 hasn't found out about him yet." 

Charley roared up beside them on a mostly white bike with light-blue storage compartments built on both sides of the back wheel and light-blue trim around the headlight. "You've had a run-in with one of Limburger's mercenaries before?" She yelled as she moved the bike to keep pace with Throttle's. 

"There's that name again. I don't know who this Limburger guy is, but BatWing is a Vex and she only works for Tabitha Val." Allie felt her face harden. _And if they've hurt Zack or Mike.... No, BatWing said 'chasing,' which means they haven't caught whoever it is yet. I just have to make sure Val Tech doesn't._ The bikes roared down the street. The business section Modo and Vinnie led them into was less damaged than the other parts of the city she had seen. 

"A what?" Throttle demanded. 

"And who?" Charley added. 

Allie grimaced. "Course, you're not in the club. In a shell, there's this company named Val Tech that mutates people. Tabitha Val runs it. Most of the people they mutate don't stick with Val Tech but the ones that do are called Vexes. Any questions?" 

"The authorities don't try to stop them?" Throttle's husky voice was taunt and edged. His hands clenched the handlebars. 

"I don't know how long you've been on Earth but it's real easy to get the authorities to overlook what they don't want to see." Her voice went bitter over the injustice of it. And it wasn't just the Mutates; the Turtles were treated just as badly in New York. 

As the bikes arrived in an open plaza surrounding a tan and blue skyscraper, they saw BatWing landing on its roof. Allie frowned at the familiar name and logo. _Limburger again? What in hell is going on?_

"I'm gonna scale that fish!" Modo roared. 

Throttle gunned his bike and screeched to a stop in front of the larger grey-furred mouse, forcing him to stop. "No, Big Fella. There's something else going on here." 

Modo's distressed face twisted even more and his one eye glowed red. "He's got my son, Throttle." He labored hard to keep his voice under control. 

Allie climbed off the back of Throttle's bike. "Give me twenty minutes. I'll get him out." 

"Too long." Throttle shook his head. 

"Fifteen then. If I take longer than that, I need you to come in guns blazing. We're wasting time out here." 

"Alright, fifteen minutes, starting now." 

Modo made a strangling growl in the back of his throat. 

Allie gave him a reassuring smile before getting the Ronin's hood out of her pocket and pulling it on. "He'll get out, safe and sound." She shrugged off her Bones jacket and tossed it to Throttle. "Hold onto that." Then she turned and ran for the shadows created by the skyscraper's floodlights. 


	7. Chapter Six: Welcome to Chitown

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Six  
Welcome to Chi-town**

Donatello stared at the computer screen and tried to come up with something to say. Raph drove the Turtle Van through the streets of the ruined buildings. And people thought New York was rundown. Mike watched from the shotgun position. Leo sat in the back of the van, in the seat across from Donnie, meditating. Zack had wrapped himself in a blanket, found a spot on the floor using his book sack as a pillow, and drifted off to sleep hours ago. Di was curled up in the third seat--the one closest to the front seat bench--still wide-awake. 

They had talked about Mutates, Val Tech, and genetics. The Mutates had a very organized sub-culture that no one was aware of, all set up by a Leader in a secret cell named Forsaken. From Forsaken, cell groups branched out to different cities, stretching from coast to coast. If the city didn't have a Mutate cell group, it had someone friendly to their cause. Fighting teams like the Black Bones travelled from one cell to another, relaying information, people, and supplies, and helping fight Val Tech. Di was actually from Forsaken, out gathering information on the process that had created the Mutates by studying them. She was also trying to figure out how the children of Mutates were going to turn out--if they could have any at all. Important stuff, which is why Snake-eyes hadn't wanted her risking her neck by helping them. 

Donnie had told her a little about himself and his brothers, with Raph digging his elbow into his side the entire time. His paranoia really got irritating at times. Now that he was safely out of Raph's reach, he couldn't think of anything to talk about, and it seemed too forward to ask her personal questions. 

Mike swiveled around to face Di. "This place is the pits." 

She smiled, "Actually, the Pits are on the other side of town." 

"So why come here?" 

"Some strange things have been happening in Chicago during the last three years. Someone bringing law and order to the Pits, the local developer has practically stopped strong-arming people into selling their property, and there have been lots of explosions." 

"Sounds like stuff the humans should worry about," Raph interjected. "Why does it matter to you?" 

Di smiled at his belligerent tone. "Miracles have agents. Someone is responsible for these changes and I have to find out who." 

"So you'll know how they'll feel about Mutates?" Mike asked. 

"That's right. I have to find out if it's still safe for Mutates families to live here." 

"Thought you said you couldn't have babies." Raph's scowl was visible in the rearview mirror. 

"There haven't been any births reported in which the infant lived longer than a month, no. But the easiest way for Val Tech to gain new victims is to buy them as infants or young children. When they are rescued, other Mutates raise them. Chicago attracted a lot of those families." Di glanced away for a moment and seemed to be deep in thought. She rallied quickly. "So my reason for coming is to check things out for my people. And I figured the locals probably wouldn't get that upset over one more fight in the neighborhood." 

Donnie frowned. "But you do genetic work?" 

"Right, but the Leader also uses me as a scout. This might be a good place to make some allies, if the locals need our help badly enough." Di smiled disarmingly. "I'd be worried if we ever become a large enough group that everyone got pigeon-holed into one role." 

"Huh?" Mike's brown eyes turned bewilderedly to Donnie. 

"She likes being a scientist and a spy and a lot of Mutates have to have two jobs." 

"Oh, and a new secret identity, too. You guys should have your own comic book," the orange-masked Turtle gushed. 

"He's impressed," Donnie translated for her and felt stupid. She would know that. 

"So what else did Mona do besides spy?" Raph asked bitingly. 

Di glanced to Donnie and Mike, distress visible in her expression. "I honestly don't know. The last time I saw her was four years ago, the last time I was in New York. She struck me as a caring, empathic person underneath her sarcasm." 

"I guess a lot can change in four years." Raph's voice was really bitter, even for him. 

Mike sighed. "Raph, I think you're being too tough on her. At least wait till you have a chance to talk to her before you break up with her." 

"Mind your own business, Michaelangelo! And worry about your girlfriend killing her when she finds out she was spying on her." 

"I think you're underestimating Allie's capacity for forgiveness. And her smarts. She probably knew after that first night." 

"I think you're delusional about your girlfriend." 

A sudden explosion in front of the van broke off Mike's reply. Raph jerked the wheel, but the forward momentum shoved the van into the new hole in the middle of the street. Donnie and Di tumbled out of their seats, landing roughly against the front bench. Zack cried out as he woke up, sliding along the tilting floor. Leo grabbed Donnie's seat and avoided tumbling into the back of the front bench. 

Donnie shook his head. The van was teetering, and he had landed on top of Di. _My heavy shell on top of Di,_ he thought. He struggled up and braced himself on his hands and knees to examine her. She was knocked out, and a trickle of blood oozed through the fur on her forehead. But she was still breathing. 

"Oy!" Zack's feet started to kick off the blanket. "Who fell asleep at the wheel?" 

One of the double back doors wrenched open and a smoking canister was flung inside. "Gas!" Leo shouted. __

Don't breathe, was what Donnie knew to do in this situation. But even as his brain recognized the danger, his body sluggishly inhaled the syrupy sweet gas. And everything went black. 

* * *

Ryan sighed. This had been an easy escort duty, maybe a little too easy. Not a peep out of Val Tech. _How would Skulls or Cat handle this? Probably get the passengers to their destination as fast as possible._

The Turtles' yellow van was in the lead. The Black Bones' three bikes had fallen behind it on the city streets. _I better tell whoever's driving that I'll take the lead. They don't know the way to Pete's._ He revved his bike and started to circle around the van when a deafening explosion ripped open the street. 

He swerved his bike onto the sidewalk, coming to a skidding, 180-degree stop. He twisted his head and watched the van's front-end fall into the hole. He winced at the frame and undercarriage repair work it would take to get it road-ready again. 

A man dressed in a muscle shirt, black vest, and jeans ran out of the alley and jumped on the back of the van. He wrenched the back door open and tossed in a smoking canister. 

Eight howled a warning and aimed his trike for the back of the van. Laser fire began to rain down on them. "Scatter!" Ryan shouted as his acceleration made him pop a wheelie. 

The Bones obeyed, suddenly becoming elusive targets to the snipers on the rooftops above. Dune buggies with weapons across their kickbars squealed from around corners, out of ruined buildings, from the alleys, and from behind them. _No wonder we didn't hear a peep out of Val Tech, they were setting up an ambush! But how did they know we were coming to Chicago?_

The blue-masked Turtle came flying out of the back doors of the van. Leonardo punched the guy who had thrown in the gas canister. Then he leaped onto a passing dune buggy and punched the driver. 

Ryan skidded around another laser bolt that almost hit his front tire. "Trash, take out the snipers!" he yelled into the helmet mike. 

"Bout time you gave the order." Trash leaped off the back of Smarts's bike and tumbled to the sidewalk. She stood up, took her fist, and drove it into the masonry of the building. Her left fist followed, and she began to climb up the building. 

Leo flipped off the dune buggy before it crashed into a wall, then he continued to somersault out of the paths of the ones that aimed to run him over. 

More men dressed in the black vest, muscle-shirt, and jeans swarmed the back of the van. A dune buggy hauling a trailer pulled up behind it. A couple of men dropped down into the van. A few moments passed and Zack was handed up and put in the trailer. 

"No!" Ryan gunned his bike but two dune buggies blocked his path. Their laser fire forced him back. Three more dune buggies completed the blockade. _Who are these guys? They're not dressed like Guards and this equipment is nothing like Val Tech's. Are they starting to hire outside help?_

It didn't matter. What mattered is that when the Bones take a job they see it through. The sniper fire eased considerably and he glanced up. Now it seemed directed across the rooftops above their heads and Trash was nowhere in sight. _Get 'em._ "Crash and burn chicken!" 

"Affirmative." Smarts encouraged one of the dune buggies not forming the blockade to chase after him and Ryan did the same. It was one of Skulls' maneuvers and Allie had named it. 

Smarts headed straight for Ryan. Ryan grinned and accelerated. At the last possible second, Smarts turned sharply to his right and Ryan paralleled him by turning to the left. The dune buggies following them crashed into each other. 

"Successful every time," Smarts chuckled. 

Leo drew his swords and stepped out into the middle of the street. The swords sliced the tires of a dune buggy that passed too close. The dune buggy careened out of control and crashed into another one. 

The numbers were starting to favor the good guys again. Through the barricade of dune buggies, Ryan could see Michaelangelo climb over the top of the van and kick one of the guys grabbing prisoners off. The dune buggy with the trailer accelerated away, around the van and hole and down the street. "Shit. Smarts, follow 'em!" 

Smarts revved his light dirt bike and used one of the crashed dune buggies as a ramp. He sailed over the blockade. The five dune buggies broke formation and chased after him. 

"Watch your back!" Trash cried over the helmet mikes. 

"You got five behind you," Ryan added. "We'll immobilize the rest." 

Leo was making short work of the still-moving dune buggies. Trash shot a few that veered close to Ryan with a liberated rifle. _Trust her to find a weapon._ Mike and Eight worked on the bad guys on foot. Soon, they were the only conscious people in the street. Leo ran up to Mike and the van. "Who was taken?" 

"Donnie, Zack, and Di. Raph hit his head when we crashed, so I'm pretty sure he breathed in some of that gas." The orange-masked Turtle looked angry, the first time Ryan had seen an unpleasant expression on his face. "This was a nice set-up," he spat. 

"Yeah, who told them we were coming?" Leo turned to Ryan. 

The brown-haired norm sighed as he climbed off his bike. "We didn't. Smarts is going to maintain radio silence until they reach their destination. We should get your van to a repair pit before it draws attention." 

Trash came running up to the group, slightly breathless, her eyes shining, and carrying a large laser rifle. "Pete probably knows a place." 

"Probably, but we'll have to stop at the first repair pit we find. We can't haul this thing all over town." 

"Well, duh," was her withering response. "Come on, Eight. Push or pull?" 

The large black man pantomimed pulling and climbed back on his trike. 

"Right." Trash walked over to the edge of the pit and jumped in. Ryan began to loop the hauling chain around the trailer hitch on the trike. Leo and Mike exchanged glances and helped him wrap the chain to the van's frame underneath the back bumper. Once the chain was secure, Ryan stepped back and motioned for the two Turtles to do the same. "Haul it out." 

The trike strained. Yells from Trash were audible through the helmet mike and over the grinding metal. But soon the van was back on the pavement. It rested on all four wheels but the center of the van was crunched and buckled. 

Leo and Mike opened the driver's door and eased Raph out. "It's the gas," Leo announced after examining him. "Hopefully, he'll come out of it soon." 

"Right." Trash climbed out of the hole and dusted off her hands. "Should I carry him or put him on Eight's ride?" 

"On Eight's ride. We'll need your hands free to help with the van." The black-haired girl nodded at Ryan's order and helped Leo get Raph secured behind the main seat of the trike. Ryan put the van in neutral, and the caravan slowly progressed down the street. 

Ryan took a brief look back. "Be careful, Smarts." 

* * *

Smarts was being exceedingly careful. He had no wish to splatter his brains over the pavement. The dune buggies behind him continued to fire, but his green bike was elusive enough to avoid it. _I wish someone could mount guns on our bikes._ He dodged another shot. _Let's test this hypothesis._

He took a right at the next intersection and two dune buggies followed him. He grinned as he taunted them. His bike swerved in and out of their gun sights, right up to the wrecked bridge across the Chicago River. 

Smarts performed the calculations instantly and threw on his brakes. The heavier dune buggies screeched past either side and off the end of the bridge. Their tires left burnt rubber streaks on the asphalt. He saluted the uglies bobbing in the water and took off. 

He quickly found the trailer with the prisoners, now surrounded by the three remaining dune buggies. He followed them on a parallel street. Their course appeared to be straight ahead. 

Smarts reviewed his mental maps of Chicago and frowned. They were heading into the outskirts of the business district. He stopped his bike as the dune buggies rolled into a plaza and courtyard dominated by a tan and blue skyscraper. The buggies rolled into its garage. 

Smarts sighed with relief. It wasn't a Val Tech building. _Maybe we just wandered into an ambush set up for someone else._ He turned on the mike in his helmet. "Ryan? They've gone to ground." 

* * *

Raphael groaned and sat up. He was lying on a bench, inside a brightly-lit garage. The ruined Turtle Van was parked in front of the second metal garage door next to a car that blocked the first. 

"This is the weirdest shit," Trash declared as she walked into the garage through a swinging door on the back wall. "Who would run out without locking up in this neighborhood?" 

"It's suspicious." Leo's head appeared in the ceiling through a trapdoor. "This bedroom's window is busted from the inside. Opposite of your standard break-in." 

Mike walked in through the open garage door that had been raised to let the van in. "Well, there's no blood or body." 

"That's a bonus. We'll just get charged with breakin' and enterin' instead of B and E and murder." Trash sat down on a stool next to a workstation covered with schoolbooks. 

"We didn't break anything." Ryan sighed as he stepped away from the Turtle Van's raised hood. "And getting this thing road-ready is beyond my technical expertise. We're going to need a mechanical miracle worker." 

"And no mechanic anywhere on the premises." Trash shook her head and made a _tsk_ noise. 

"What happened?" Raph finally asked. 

Mike walked up to him. "How ya feelin'?" 

"I'll feel a lot better when I know what's going on." Raph growled, trying to hide the fear he felt inside. 

Leo lowered himself out of the trapdoor and dropped lightly to his feet on the cement below. "We were ambushed. The Van got smashed up. Donnie, Zack, and Di were captured. We got the van here--the Last Chance Garage--and have been trying to see what's wrong with it." 

"Donnie and Zack?" His heart lurched. _I was driving; I should've been able to keep from going into that hole. I should've seen an ambush. If anything happens to them...._ "What are we sitting around here with the van for! We gotta get 'em back!" 

"Chill out, shellback." Trash tossed her black hair over her shoulder. "Smarts is following them. When they go to ground, we'll get 'em out. Simple." 

"Yeah, we just have to figure out how to transport you guys." Ryan kicked open the door without a window on the left wall. "Ah," he headed inside the bathroom to wash his hands. 

"Man, I wish my wheels hadn't got creamed. Four passengers won't fit on two bikes." Trash jumped off the stool. "What's wrong with this?" She ran her hands along the body of the car parked next to the van. 

Ryan came back wiping his hands on a paper towel. "Because we don't know if it runs and I don't think we'll get good service out of the mechanic if we steal his customer's car." 

"So we should borrow the tow truck parked in the back?" She asked, cocking her hips and jerking her thumb to the rear of the garage. 

He shrugged. "As long as we bring it back in one piece. Which means you and Raph can't drive it." 

Leo ducked into the door with a built-in window near the bathroom door. 

"Very funny." The girl crossed her arms over her chest and glared. 

"Wait." Ryan pressed his hand against his dark blue helmet right over his ear. "Where are they? Limburger Enterprises? Ever heard of him? No, me neither. Doesn't matter, we're on our way." He turned to the others. "Let's mount up. Smarts found them." 

Leo tossed a set of keys into the air and caught them as he walked back into the garage. "Let's go." 

Trash howled as she ran through the swinging door at the rear of the garage. The Turtles followed her through the kitchen and out into the empty lot behind the building. She jumped into the back of a light blue tow truck, and Mike and Raph joined her there. 

"I hope the owner won't be too sore with us," Mike commented. 

"Don't sweat it. This guy named his business the Last Chance. I think that says a lot 'bout his understanding nature." Trash grinned as she hung from the pulley support. "Besides, it's not like we're going to crash it through a wall or something. Better us take it than some crooks that would chop it." 

"Oh, so that's why Ryan's locking everything down?" 

Raphael ignored Mike and Trash's conversation. Donnie and Zack had been captured, and it was all his fault. If he had been paying attention to the road instead of worrying about Mona.... 

Mona... he tried to ignore the piercing pain. Oh, but all the doubts were answered now. _She never did care. That's why it was so easy for her to leave. So desperate for a girl, you were willing to ignore that she was just using you for a job. And when the job left town, so did she. You didn't matter at all._

He grimly set his face into a resolute facade. _It doesn't matter. I don't need her,_ he stubbornly told himself, knowing it was a lie. _Donnie and Zack are more important. We have to save 'em before Donnie gets put under the knife._

They joined Smarts at a T-junction. The nerdy-looking, red-haired young man gestured up at a tan and blue skyscraper. "That's where they went." 

"What are we waiting for?" Raph snarled as he jumped out of the back of the tow truck. 

Trash squinted her eyes. "Hey, is somebody else breakin' in?" She blinked. "Guess it was just a shadow." 

"Come on, Trash, we're breaking in now." Ryan called out patiently. 

"I'm coming." She swung off the pulley support and landed on the asphalt, then jogged quickly to catch up with the group. 


	8. Chapter Seven: Finding Friends in the St...

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Seven  
Finding Friends in the Strangest Places**

Sparks couldn't recall a time he had felt more utterly humiliated. The bat lady had wrapped his tail around her arm so he couldn't use it and then wrapped that arm around his waist and held him horizontal against her hip. She strode through the corridors of Limburger Tower while Sparks crossed his arms and scowled. They entered a lab and the bat lady set him on his feet, gripping his upper arms. 

A human woman turned from examining a crying human infant. She was dressed in a skirt and business jacket that would make Vinnie drool. A lab coat-wearing lackey whisked the kid out of the room when she waved her hand. She brushed her long, dark red hair off her shoulder. "Magnificent!" She sauntered purposefully to them, gripped Sparks's jaw and forced him to look up at her. The expression on her face made his insides freeze. _She's way too glad to see me. Dad, where are you?_

She let go of his jaw and trailed her fingers through his fur on the side of his face. Her fingers ran through his hair, combing back his grey bangs, and gently touched his antennae. "Where are the other three?" 

"We have a problem." The bat lady answered coldly. "**She**'s here." 

The woman looked up distractedly. "Of course, she's here. Limburger's goons are bringing her up." 

"No, Ms Val. She's with the adult mice. She wasn't with the New York fugitives." 

Ms. Val straightened her back and stared up at the bat lady. "Are you positive?" 

"I never forget a face." 

"So you abandoned your mission to tell me this?" 

"And to deliver this one." The bat lady gave Sparks a small shake. "I didn't want to give them a chance of overpowering me." 

"Let me go!" A goon carried a struggling human boy into the lab. A blond, nerdy-looking man in a business suit followed them. The goon set the black-haired boy down next to Sparks. He was older than the mouse boy by a few years. He glared with dark brown, almond-shaped eyes at Ms. Val. "Kidnapping is a federal offense!" 

She ignored him and turned to the blond man. "He emits the signal?" 

"Yes, Ms. Val. He must be a sibling." He sighed, "The computers have made this error before." 

Ms. Val turned and forced the human boy's head up. "This could work better. Arkson, bring me M-175." 

The man straightened his wire-rimmed glasses as he walked over to the small table next to the examination table. He picked up a syringe filled with a glowing green fluid. The goon forced the human boy's arm out. Sparks could see his muscles straining. Ms. Val took the syringe and advanced with a grin that frightened Sparks more than her earlier expression. 

"I wanna see your medical license!" The human boy yelled as she injected the substance into his arm. 

Ms. Val ignored him as she gave the empty syringe back to Arkson and turned to the bat lady. "The mice are coming, BatWing?" 

"Undoubtedly," the bat lady answered. 

"Fine. Lock these two together and let's see about defenses." 

BatWing dug her talons more deeply into Sparks's arms and sharply prodded him with her knee to make him start walking. She tossed him into one of the cells lining the wall of the lab. The goon tossed the human boy in after him. The two prisoners stared at each other as the door slammed shut. 

The boy rubbed his arm where they had injected him as he glanced out the barred window of the cell door. "This is just great. Well, they're gone. Didn't even leave a guard. Sloppy, but we can talk now. My name's Zack." 

"I'm Sparks." He took a deep breath and decided to trust a fellow prisoner. "Do you know what's going on?" 

Zack looked at him confusedly. "You're not a Mutate?" 

"No, I'm a Martian." 

Zack's eyebrows raised. "I guess NASA's in for a rude awakening. And the other mice they were talking about, your parents?" 

"My dad and his bros. And they'll come too. You don't wanna make my dad mad." 

"Sounds like my sister." The human boy grinned. "Hope she'll let me watch when she takes these creeps apart." 

"She must've been the girl that freaked BatWing out." 

"She freaks a lot of people out. How 'bout we get out of here and find her and your dad? I don't know if they have my other friends or not, but I think I'd rather have backup while looking for them." 

Sparks glanced around the bare metal box. "Sounds good, but how?" 

Zack knelt down on one knee and started rolling up the loose pants on his right leg. "Ninja trade secret. Put up an ineffectual fight with a stupid lackey, and they usually don't bother to search you." He pulled a pair of strange daggers out of the top of his boot. 

"Neat." He stared down at the hand-held tridents. "I think I saw something like those in a martial arts movie." 

"They're called sais." Zack stood and stared up at the air vent near the ceiling. "We're both small enough to fit through. Think you can hold me up?" 

"No problem." He wrapped his grey tail around Zack's waist and lifted him up to the vent. 

"Bet that comes in handy." Zack shoved the sais into the grill over the vent and pulled. The grill popped off. He freed his sais, tucked them into his belt, and scrambled inside. Once lodged in, he reached down and offered Sparks a hand. "Let's blow this joint." 

"Right." Sparks grabbed hold of the hand and pulled himself up. "But aren't you too young to be a ninja?" 

"I'm a ninja in training. How do you even know what a ninja is?" 

"G.I. Joe. Snake-eyes was a ninja." 

They crawled through the vents. "So Sparks, what are Martians doing on Earth? Zack asked quietly. 

"Dad and his bros crashed and they stayed when they found Plutarkians here." 

"What's a Plutarkian?" 

"They're the alien race that strip-mined most of Mars. Now they're here to do the same to Earth. I'm here to be with my dad. And he's gonna tear Limburger apart." 

"Limburger? Which one was Limburger?" 

Zack happened on something that had been vaguely bothering Sparks. "He wasn't there; Karbunkle neither. But he loves to gloat; why wasn't he there when they brought me here?" 

"Those guys have something to do with Val Tech." Zack grunted suddenly with pain. 

"Are you okay?" Sparks asked hesitantly. 

"We better get out of the ducts." Zack found an opening into the corridor and kicked out the grill. He dropped down to the floor. The mouse boy wiggled out and dropped down next to him. "Now let's find the stairs. Ugh!" Zack doubled over in pain. 

Sparks clenched his fists. "What's wrong?" 

The human boy took a deep breath and straightened. "I think whatever they gave me is starting to kick in." His face was pale, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. "We gotta get out of here." 

"Stairs." They hurried to the door that Sparks pointed out. An alarm lock box rested on the wall next to the door handle waiting patiently for someone to enter a code. The mouse child sighed and pried the top of the box off, but the maze of circuitry and wires lost him. 

"Here." Zack pulled two wires--a red one and a black one--from the rest with his sai. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a fat pocketknife jammed with collapsible tools. He cut the wires, then touched the cut ends against the circuit boards. The plastic and metal pieces sparked and melted, smoking. "A trick my sister taught me. Fries the entire security system." He opened the door and no sirens blared as he leaned against it heavily. "We gotta get out of here," he gasped. 

Sparks put his shoulder under Zack's left arm and wrapped his tail and arms around the human's waist. "We're closer to the roof; we'll go up." 

"Sounds good to me," Zack answered quietly. 

Zack weighed a little more than he did, Sparks noticed as he dragged the human up the few flights of stairs. They passed doors to other floors, fire hoses, fire extinguishers, and hard hat depositories in the otherwise normal concrete and metal stairwell. They found the door to the roof and Sparks forced it open. 

A cold wind from Lake Michigan rushed across the top of the building. Zack's teeth chattered and he shivered. Sparks wasn't much warmer; the wind seemed to cut through his fur. He helped Zack sit on the roof. _Great, now what? Wait till Dad and the others crumble the Tower? We'd get down in a hurry, but it'd hurt!_

* * *

Allie stared at the alarm circuits that melted and ran out of the panel box in front of her eyes. The blood pounded in her ears. _I only showed Zack that trick._ She wrenched open the door and ran into the hall. She found an empty office and ducked inside. She dug into one of the seldom-used pockets of her belt and pulled out her Turtle Comm. She flipped opened the green and yellow, compact-sized communicator and hit Zack's call button. Then waited in agony until it was answered. 

But Zack didn't answer it. Instead a grey-furred mouse boy with a strong resemblance to Modo, including the same uneven buckteeth, appeared in the tiny viewscreen. "Sparks, right? Where are you?" 

"Who are you?" He asked suspiciously. 

"A friend. Is Zack all right?" 

Sparks glanced away from the Turtle Comm. "He's been better. How'd ya know he's with me?" 

"This is Zack's Turtle Comm. Now where are you?" 

"On the roof." 

She heaved a sigh that was barely visible under her ninja hood. "Your dad and the others are parked on the west side of the building. Get Zack out of here. I'll keep the opposition busy." She snapped her Turtle Comm closed and shoved it away. __

I can't worry about Zack. He'll have to take care of himself. He can; he's been raised and trained by the best. She took a deep breath, closing all her worry and fear about Zack into a tight ball and burying it deep within herself. 

When she opened her eyes, she focused on the task as hand. _Find out what BatWing is doing working for this Limburger guy and keep them from chasing Zack and Sparks._

* * *

Sparks blew his bangs out of his red eyes as he held the still-open communicator. Zack groaned and curled up in a fetal position. He knelt next to the human. Zack's body was racked with convulsions. _Safe bet that he's getting worse. I need to get Charley. She'll know what to do._

The thought that someone would know what to do made him feel more confident. He sprinted to the side of the building. The girl in the funny looking, black ski mask hadn't lied. All four of them were parked at a T-junction with the road around Limburger Tower. He jumped up and down and waved his arms but they didn't look up. "I need my own bike," he grumbled out loud while trying to come up with something to get their attention. There was no way he could shout loud enough for them to hear him and he didn't have anything to throw or wave. Or did he? 

Sparks sprinted back to the stairwell and down to the first fire extinguisher. He ran back, propped his foot against the small wall surrounding the roof, and aimed the nozzle down at the group of motorcycles. "This better get their attention," he muttered as he pulled the trigger. 

* * *

Charley stared up at Limburger Tower with her binoculars. Throttle glanced down at the countdown running on the viewscreen of his bike and patted down the jacket. Nothing in it but a motel key and the plastic rings that hold a six-pack of canned drinks together. Nothing to prove or disprove her story. Not that he instinctively mistrusted her, quite the opposite. But Mace had been a capable fighter too. 

"What's that?" Charley cried. 

Throttle jerked his head up to see white foam streaming from the rooftop. "It's Sparks!" Modo bellowed and gunned his bike. 

Vinnie glanced back for Throttle's nod and followed Modo's lead up the side of the building with rocket boosters. Throttle grabbed hold of Charley's waist with his tail, plucking her off her bike and slinging her onto the back of his. 

She wrapped her arms around him tightly as he revved the bike and hit the jets. "Fast work," she commented. 

"If she did it." Throttle chuckled, "Sparks is a smart kid, and I betcha they underestimated him." 

The bike leaped onto the roof and skidded to a stop to see Modo jump off his ride and grab Sparks in a bear hug. "Dad! I can't breathe!" The boy cried as his feet swung in the air. 

Modo set him back down and took hold of his shoulders. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" 

"Zack's the one they hurt." Sparks pointed to the huddled human boy lying near the stairwell entrance. 

Charley climbed off Throttle's bike and rushed to him. "What did they do to him?" 

"Injected him with something. They called it M-175." 

"Did Allie get you two out?" Throttle asked. Seeing Sparks's confusion, he added, "A girl in a black mask." 

"No, but she called on this." Sparks gave Throttle an open green and yellow communicator. "She said get Zack out of here and she'd keep the opposition busy." 

"We have to get this kid to a hospital," Charley declared from kneeling by his side. 

"No!" The boy gasped as he turned and managed to grab her arm. "My friends... Turtles... can't get to me... Val Tech... they'll find me. No hospital." 

"Shush, you need a doctor." Charley petted his black hair away from his sweaty forehead. "This is way beyond me and the first aid kit." 

"No hospital," he repeated. 

"Tala's building," Vinnie interjected. "She's got a room set up for medical emergencies." __

The kid doesn't trust doctors. Really don't blame him if Karbunkle was the one who did this to him. Throttle took a deep breath. "Modo, get the kid." The big grey mouse scooped the human boy into his arms and carried him to his bike. Sparks hopped on behind him as he cradled Zack in front. 

Charley climbed back on Throttle's bike. "He needs a doctor." 

"We don't know what's going on, Charley-girl. Do you know a doctor we can trust?" Throttle led the way back down to the street. "Modo, get the kid to Tala's. Charley, do the best you can. Vinnie, take escort." 

She moved to her bike. "What about you?" 

"Somebody's got to give our new friend a ride." He jerked his head toward Limburger Tower. "Or a rescue." Her face grew worried, and he reached out and caressed her cheek. "I'll be fine. Go help the kid." 

She didn't look happy about it, but she nodded and they took off. _It's been a while since anyone cared about the risks I ran. Even Carbine was pragmatic about them._ Knowing she felt that way gave him a settled feeling. _I just hope she worried about me getting shot and not about me cheatin' on her. I'd never do that._ He sighed a little wistfully and turned back to Limburger Tower's quiet façade. 

* * *

"Alarm system's been deactivated already." Smarts pulled his long -fingers back from the control panel. 

Ryan and Leo both peered over the scrawny biker's head to see what he's talking about. "But that's a Mutate trick?" Ryan scratched the back of his head. 

"Maybe Di's breaking them out," Leo suggested. 

"Then let's get in there and help!" Raph wrenched the door open and charged inside. 

"Nice to see someone take the direct approach." Trash muttered as she followed him. 

* * *

Modo felt Sparks's arms around his waist, but they did little to calm his anger and his fear. _They tried to hurt my son!_ His miracle son, the child he never expected to have and never should have found. _They tried to hurt my son!_ This is what Roddie had been afraid of--their enemies using Sparks to get to Modo and his bros. And it almost worked. 

His grip around the sick human boy in his lap tightened. _That stinkfish has gone too far this time! Nobody messes with my family! I'm gonna carve him into tiny pieces and see how Earth fish like Plutarkian as bait!_ The threat didn't make him feel better. Limburger would just slime his way out and Sparks would still be in danger. Modo's heart sank. _Look at how many times Limburger has tried to hurt Charley, and she's an adult that can take care of herself--even if she does need Biker Mice backup every now and then._

The human boy in his lap groaned as Li'l Hoss turned down a new street. "Hang on, li'l citizen. We're almost there." Modo used his flesh hand to wipe some of the sweat off the kid's face. 

"Splinter?" The boy opened his dark brown, blurry eyes and focused on Modo's face. He looked like most of the humans in martial arts films. "Where's Splinter?" 

"I don't know, but we'll find him." The kid lapsed back into unconsciousness. 

"Are you mad at me?" Sparks asked in a small voice that sounded even smaller inside the child's helmet. 

"No, I'm mad at Limburger." 

"Limburger wasn't there. Karbunkle neither." 

Before Modo could comment on the surprising bit of information, they reached Tala's seven-story building. They pulled up to the closed door on the ramp leading to the street-level garage. "What now?" 

"We get in." Charley dismounted her white and blue bike and walked down to the alarm keypad mounted between the garage door and a regular door. "Has she given you the alarm code?" 

Vinnie snorted. "I gotta blackmail her to go on a date with me. What do you think?" 

"Maybe I can hot-wire it," Charley muttered with a sigh. 

A light switched on above the door and it swung open. "Or not." Tala crossed her arms over her chest. She was wrapped in a worn, green, terry-cloth bathrobe with matching fuzzy green slippers. 

"You're home!" The white-furred mouse blurted. 

She glared at Vinnie. "I know I agreed to go out with you when I got back to Earth but I didn't mean the second I got back." 

Modo cut off Vinnie's stammering explanation. "We came for the kid." He lifted him slightly. "He needs your medbay." 

"Aren't there hospitals on Earth?" 

"He didn't want to go to one," Sparks answered. "He got me out of Limburger's Tower. Please, Tala." 

The blonde human woman sighed. "All right, but you wait until the door is up." She disappeared inside. 

"How do you do that?" Vinnie asked as the garage door rumbled up. 

"Simple. She likes me." 

Vinnie made faces at Sparks' back; Modo saw them as he glanced behind them. His good eye rolled at both of the "kids" as they rode into the garage. Tala stood in the freight elevator already. "On foot from here up, boys." 

Sparks climbed off first and hovered anxiously as Modo carefully dismounted. "He's looking worse." 

"So purple isn't his normal skin tone? What happened to him?" 

"They injected him with something." 

Tala felt for the pulse point on the boy's neck as Charley and Vinnie entered the elevator. "Hershel Plutarkians!" 

"It wasn't Limburger!" Sparks exclaimed. "Zack called 'em Val Tech." 

"Val Tech? That's the same name Allie used," Charley added. "That BatWing that grabbed you works for them. Supposed to be an Earth company." 

"Top floor, Vinnie." Tala told the mouse closest to the controls as her grey-blue eyes flicked over them. "Am I going to have to wait for Throttle to get here before I get an explanation that makes sense?" 

"Probably, Doll-face. He is Mr. Exposition," Vinnie answered. "Did we catch you at a bad time?" 

"No, I like being awake for almost thirty galactic standard hours and not getting to take my Jacuzzi bubble bath. Most people would be upset, but I never claimed to be normal." She shrugged with a sigh. "If you didn't know I was home, why did you come here?" 

"I'm getting psychic about your proximity." The white-furred mouse wiggled his eyebrows provocatively. 

Modo rolled his good eye again. _Can't he take anything seriously?_ "He said you had a place set up for doctorin' in your building." 

"Yeah, I do. But I think that kid is past what you can do with it." Tala shot Vinnie a puzzled look. "How did you know?" 

"You told me." When her puzzled look didn't vanish, he added, "While we were waiting for Tomahawk to chew us out for blowin' up the Sand Raiders." 

"You remember that?" 

"I remember everything you tell me." 

Tala didn't say anything to that as the freight elevator reached the top story. The top two stories had been combined to create a hanger bay large enough for Tala's black space ship. She led a quick pace up the ramp into the ship. Modo followed close behind. She turned into the small room set up as a medbay. The robot arms above the examination bed were already moving. Tala took a seat in front of a cramped computer terminal. "Put him down, Modo." 

Modo sighed as he did so and stepped back. This room gave him the willies. Vinnie had stopped dead in his tracks in the corridor, but Charley had to restrain Sparks from entering. 

One of the robot arms held the boy as another arm extracted a blood sample. Tala watched the results on the computer screen and sat up straight. "What the hell? Two different blood types? That would kill him. Take another sample, MC." The robot arms complied and the human woman made a sound of bafflement. "That's not right." 

"The probability of error on my part is...." 

"Did I ask for the odds?" Tala growled at the computerized voice. "Do a deeper scan." 

"Attempting genetic profile." Nobody said anything while the computer worked. "Unable to complete." 

"Show me." The computer screen flashed information at her, much too small for Modo to read. "That's not possible." 

"What's wrong with him?" Sparks demanded. 

"His DNA is scrambling itself." 

"You've got funny DNA," Vinnie interjected. 

"I have altered DNA. And it took months to figure out how to alter it and then months for it to take full affect. And aliens did it, technology not available on Earth. His DNA is coming apart and rearranging itself, completely at random." 

Charley sucked down a gasp. "But that's not possible. It should kill him!" 

"If we don't stop it, it will," Tala answered. 


	9. Chapter Eight: An Organized Fiasco, How ...

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Eight  
An Organized Fiasco, How Original**

"Who in the Seven Stinking Cesspools of Plutark is that?" Limburger jabbed a fat white-gloved finger at the monitor mounted in the wall of his office. 

Val pivoted away from the shark-infested aquarium tube running through his office. "She looks like a ninja. Have you pissed off any Japanese?" 

"Japanese?" Limburger turned to Karbunkle. 

The thin scientist grimaced. "The humans that invented sushi." 

Limburger blanched. "Barbarians." 

"More intruders!" Karbunkle yelled as he pointed to another portion of the floor-to-ceiling screen, which was split into a hundred different views of the building. 

Val's gaze followed his pointing finger. These figures she recognized. "That stupid motorcycle gang! And those animals! Obviously they're here to rescue the prisoners. What are you going to do about it?" She turned to Limburger. 

"Me?" 

"It's your building." 

He paused to consider that point. With a sigh, he walked to his desk and hit a button on the intercom. "Attention, Limburger goons. There are intruders in the Tower. Apprehend them at once!" 

Val brushed the sleeve of Arkson's suit jacket. "Make sure the prisoners are secured," she whispered to him. He nodded and left the office. 

"Of course this would be easier if the alarm system hadn't blown a fuse." Limburger turned an accusatory eye to Karbunkle. 

"It did not blow a fuse. The computer blew up," he corrected with a wheeze. 

Val's hazel eyes flicked over the screen again. "It's their standard trick. My security people have not found a way to combat it other than layering the systems," she informed them in her bored voice. 

"And why didn't you tell us?" Limburger turned to her with a dangerous expression. 

"You never asked." 

* * *

Henry Arkson stopped first at the lower level of cells. Its security system was still in place and the guards snapped to attention as he entered. 

The infant slept in his cell. Arkson moved down the row. The goons had placed the turtle humanoid and his cat creation in the same cell. Sloppy, but it might hurt her more. Yes, to see a fellow freak suffer would hurt her. He stared down at the face covered in tawny fur. _She'll pay for Dana, finally. Finally, she'll pay._

He pushed the thoughts of the beautiful Dana from his mind as he slammed the window shut on the stirring creatures. He headed up the private elevator to the next floor. The brother of that terrorist should be in the middle of his transformation and it was time to check on his progress. 

Arkson peered into the cell through the barred window and let out an oath. They were both gone. The ventilation grill had been pried off and left on the floor. He turned, hurried to the nearest exit, and found the disabled alarm box on the stairwell door. The terrorist's brother and the Martian were gone. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and mopped his forehead. Val would not be pleased. 

After he called her, Val reached the lab quickly and in surprisingly good humor. "This is even better. The boy has only been injected with the mutagen. What does he have, a month at the most? He'll run to his sister and she'll run here. And we'll be ready." 

Arkson sighed internally. One never knew how she was going to take these things. That was, undeniably part of her allure, but it made dealing with her on a daily basis unstable at best. "The Martian?" 

"A more troublesome loss. I had counted on baiting a trap with him." Val tapped her index finger against her chin. "Send the Hounds after him. They can follow the tracking signal in the human." 

"Yes, Ms. Val." Arkson turned away to do her bidding but her melodious voice pulled him back. 

"I want those Martians alive, Arkson. After all, their species is nearly extinct. There will be plenty of time to kill them after we have finished studying them." 

* * *

Allie left the office in disgust. The computers were connected in a single network but evidently Limburger didn't mix his real business with the illusion he created for the public. _Okay, fine. I need to find his private office. Or find BatWing and beat the answer out of her._

She rounded the corner and skidded to a stop. Ten armed uglies dressed in muscle shirts, vests, and blue jeans blocked the hall. Their red laser pistols pointed at her. "Is this what happens when you get separated from the tour group?" 

"You ain't supposed to be here," the head ugly said with a nasty grin. "And we're here to make sure you understand how Mr. Limburger feels about trespassers." __

Where do they find these guys? This idiot looks like Bluto's body double from the old Popeye cartoons. Allie spread her hands. "All of you to find me? I'm flattered." 

"Then let's do this the easy way." He gestured for his men to flank her. 

"But I'm such a fan of the hard way." One of the men surrounding her reached out to grab her arms. Right, like that was a good idea. True the masked ninja wasn't holding herself in a threatening manner, but he should know to never trust people in masks. _Especially ones that have watched a Shaolin Master fight._

Her leg extended straight up from her side, hit his chest, and sent him to the nearest wall. The other men jumped in. They were tough, brawling fighters, swinging their fists instead of thinking how the punch would work. Not that Allie actually spent conscious power thinking. It was instinctual, like another plane of existence. Kick, punch, pivot, kick, duck, grab, toss, and kick again. 

When the action-filled fog cleared, Allie found herself on top of a groaning pile of men. "Guys, really. Look into a new career." The pile gave her just enough height to grab hold of the air conditioning vent in the ceiling. She pulled off the grill and jumped up to clamber inside. 

* * *

The bowl of slime worms on the desk jumped when the white-gloved fist slammed down. "Blast! She doesn't even need a motorcycle!" Limburger growled as he watched the black-clad legs disappear into the ventilation system. __

There has to be a way to turn this to my advantage. He stared at the pile of groaning goons still visible on the desk's security monitor while his devious brain sifted through the information he had. "Karbunkle!" The skinny scientist jumped. "Find out everything you can about these ninjas." 

* * *

Mike carefully poked his head over the desk, then hurriedly pulled it back and halfway into his shell as laser bolts whizzed by. "There are times when ninjutsu just isn't enough." 

Trash let loose a volley from her laser rifle and crouched again. "You don't have any specialized equipment? Smoke bombs, tear gas, anything?" 

"Sorry, we left them in our other shells." 

Leo surveyed the room. The bald uglies that evidently worked as guards here had their group pinned down in one corner of a long office filled with desks and filing cabinets. The only exits were on the other side of the room blocked by the enemy, the ventilation shafts blocked by the enemy's shots, and the windows also blocked by enemy fire. Leo groaned silently. Their group was pinned down and rapidly running out of firepower. 

Ryan emptied his gun of bullets and tossed himself to the floor with a growl. "I'm open to suggestions." 

"Bring more weapons the next time we break into a building?" The orange-masked Turtle offered helpfully. "Or maybe just more bullets?" Mike tried to grin. 

"That does us a lot of good now." Trash shifted the rifle back up onto her bony shoulder and started firing again. She hit a couple of the uglies and dropped back out of sight. Her eyes were open wide in her thin face. "We're outgunned." 

"Too bad that observation does nothing to alleviate our current situation." Smarts dived into the kneehole of the desk. 

Eight lay flat on the floor behind a desk--the only way he coulf get full cover. A strange expression crossed his face, a look of transcendence. He reached over to the next desk and grabbed hold of Trash's leg. His hand almost covered her entire calf. 

She looked over. "No, not now Eight!" A soundless explosion of light covered them both. When it vanished, they were gone. 

"Great!" Ryan snarled. "And they took the only working gun!" 

"What just happened?" Leo demanded. 

Smarts extended his head and shoulders out of the hole of the desk and shrugged. "It's a side effect of his mutation. Sometimes, he just disappears. But we don't think he has any control over it." 

"We'll find them again; we always do," Ryan added. 

"Provided we survive this!" Mike pointed out. 

"Let's just rush 'em," Raph suggested. "They can't hit all of us." 

"Small flaw." Leo held up his finger for patience. "Five of us, thirty of the them as well as thirty guns. You do the math." 

"Well what are we going to do? Wait for help the drop out of the sky?" 

The ventilation grill popped off above the uglies, hitting one of them in the head. Two small canisters fell out next, leaving a trail of smoke that suddenly expanded. The uglies were obscured and coughing wildly. 

The grill popped off above the desk the Turtles had hidden behind, and a black-gloved hand extended down out of it. "What the hell?" Raph demanded. 

"I'm not kicking a gift-rescue in the mouth," Ryan declared. The lithe young man scrambled on top of the desk and tucked his handgun into his waist holster before grabbing the hand and climbing into the air conditioning shaft. 

"I'm with him." Mike said. Leo nodded and his brother grabbed hold of Ryan's hand. Smarts climbed up next. 

"Go, Raph." Leo ordered. The smoke was starting to dissipate. 

"We can take these guys now!" 

"We can't save Donnie and Zack by getting ourselves killed. Go!" 

Raph growled, but grabbed hold of Mike's hand. Leo shook his head and jumped up into the vent after Raph's feet disappeared. 

The trail of people blocked his view of the beginning of the line. But he heard another ventilation grill fall to the floor below and a person drop down. The others ahead of him climbed out of the ventilation shaft, one by one. Raph finally got his big shell out of the way and Leo landed on the floor of the smaller office. His eyes quickly sought out their rescuer, and his mouth fell open. 

The black hood and shirt of traditional ninja garb paired with black denim shorts, leotard, and combat boots; only one ninja in the world wore that outfit. And it was the last ninja they expected to see in Chicago. Raph found his tongue first. "What the hell are you doing here?" 

"Saving your shells." She wasn't using the voice distorter anymore, but then it wasn't necessary. They knew who the Ronin really was now. 

"We had the situation handled." 

The Ronin ignored him as she pulled a bookcase across the door. "This whole building is monitored with cameras, some visible, most hidden. And somebody's telling those uglies where to go." As if on cue, the door out began to shake as someone tried to force it open. "Let's go." 

"You just blocked the exit!" Raph shouted. 

Ryan grabbed the desk chair and hurled it through the floor-to-ceiling window. The glass shattered, leaving a person-sized hole. "New exit." 

"Right." The Ronin pulled a belt attachment out of one of the pouches on her belt. It was a thin cylindrical spool with a small grappling hook attached to the top. She knelt down in front of the window and started securing it to the floor. 

Mike pulled out his grappling hook as he knelt down beside her. "Well, I'm glad to see you, no matter what they say." He extended the prongs out of the shell-shaped end and started hammering two of them into the floor. 

"I missed you too, Michaelangelo." She stood up and attached the spool to her belt. "I'll take Ryan and Smarts." 

Mike's incredibly large and goofy grin was reflected in part of the broken window for a second. Leo watched it go serious again as his brother stood up and wrapped his rope around his shell and right arm. 

Ryan looked alarmed. "How the hell do you know us? Or them?" 

The sounds outside the door changed to laser bolts being fired. "How about explanations when we're not getting shot at?" Leo suggested. 

"No time like the present." The Ronin grabbed Ryan and Smarts around their waists. "I'd hang on, guys." 

"I don't think our present level of acquaintanceship...." Smarts gulped. 

She shrugged. "Suit yourself." She took one step and jumped out of the window dragging them with her. The red-haired young man let out a high-pitched scream, wrapped one arm around the Ronin, and grabbed his coke-bottle glasses with the other. 

"We are not bailing!" Raph yelled. "Not on her say so!" 

Leo rolled his eyes and looked past Raph to Mike who nodded. They both looped their arms with Raph's and dragged him to the window. The red-masked Turtle bellowed and tried to break free, but Leo led the plummet out of the window. 

* * *

Trash groaned and stood up. The skinny young woman held the laser rifle thicker than her arm ready to shoot as her hazel eyes glanced over the deserted hallway. 

Eight's head rested against one wall of the hall and his legs extended up the other one. He groaned and grabbed his head. 

"I hope you're happy," she said, a little bitterly. "We've left Ryan and Smarts to certain doom to land in an apartment hallway. What am I supposed to shoot here?" 

Eight grunted and struggled to sit up straight. Trash sighed as she slung the laser rifle across her back, freeing her hands to help pry him loose. 

Unnoticed above them, a security camera monitored their movements. 

* * *

Throttle heard the high-pitched scream, but it was hard for his oversized ears to miss. _Man, every girl screams. No matter how tough they are._ He chuckled as he revved his bike and headed around Limburger Tower. And the situation was odd enough to make him stop and try to figure out what was going on. 

Charley's tow truck was parked on a side street flanked by three strange bikes--a green dirt bike with modified street tires, a large maroon trike, and a silver Ninja racing bike. Two groups of people descended down the side of the building on ropes. The girl, Allie--still wearing her black, head-covering mask--dropped two human guys on the concrete before cutting the line connecting her belt to the brokwn window above. 

The guy with shoulder-length, red hair dropped to his hands and knees and kissed the street. The other guy dressed in a black biker jacket gagged and backed away from him. Allie shook her head and grabbed the redhead, hauling him to his feet and out of the way of the other group coming out of the window. 

Throttle figured he had seen a lot of strange things in his life, but three humanoid turtles wearing belts around their shells and masks around their eyes dangling arm in arm from Limburger's building just won first prize. The turtle creature in the blue mask dropped to the ground first. The orange-masked one let go of the red-masked turtle who was caught by the one on the ground. The red-masked one was pissed over something, yelling and gesturing emphatically, but Throttle wasn't close enough to make out what he was saying. 

Throttle looked up at the window. The orange-masked turtle looked like he was trying to figure out how to untangle himself from the rope. A goon suddenly appeared in the broken window, grinned down nastily, and kicked whatever anchored the rope out the window. Throttle gunned his bike, but he doubted there was enough time to catch him in mid-air. 

"Mike!" The girl in black came running forward as the creature began to fall. 

He twisted in the air and threw the rope again. The egg-shaped, green block at the end, which held a trio of sharp hooks, wrapped around a security camera mounted on the side of the building. The turtle's falling shifted to an arcing swing. He landed right next to the spot where Throttle screeched his bike to a stop. "Eat your heart out, Tarzan!" The turtle crowed as he snapped the grappling hook off the camera. 

Allie reached them, her mask not hiding her panic. "I see you added sky-diving to your list of extreme sports." 

The turtle's round face grinned under the orange mask knotted around his large brown eyes. "Had to fill my time with something when my girl left town. What better than a new hobby?" 

Laser bolts started raining down on them. Allie and the turtle scampered closer to the building to avoid them. "Choose your partners better next time!" she said. 

"Okay, I'll just sky-dive with you from now on." 

Throttle fired his rockets into the office. The goons yelled and scrambled back before the explosions knocked out the rest of the glass. "There. Now we can talk." 

He could see Allie's blue eyes opened wide behind the mesh-covered openings. "Now that's a tricked-out hog," she said breathlessly. 

"Thanks, and those are some radical rope tricks. Worked in the circus?" Throttle gestured to her friend. 

Allie shook her head. "Sorry. Throttle, Michaelangelo--a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Mike, Throttle--a Biker Mouse from Mars." 

He shot her an incredulous look. "Martian?" 

"That's what he said. And what BatWing said too." 

He paused to consider this. Throttle hid a smirk. It was odd to see the typical Earthling's reaction coming from a creature as out of place as he was. "Didn't somebody say there wasn't any life on Mars?" 

"They also said that nothing lives in New York sewers." 

"Good point." The Turtle held out his three-fingered hand for Throttle to shake. "Sorry. I'm the dumb bunny of the group. 'Sides, if she bothers with introductions, you gotta be a good guy to know." 

"Hey!" She planted her hands on her hips in the universal signal of female annoyance. 

"You don't introduce the guys you've got bad blood with," Mike protested. 

"Pleased to meet you, I think." Throttle shook his hand. 

"You are; I'm the fun one to know." 

She sighed with tender patience before turning to Throttle. "Where are the others?" 

"They took the kids to get checked over. We have an acquaintance that has medical facilities." 

"Good. Then we better make sure they're okay. And you better meet the others before the uglies come out shooting at us again." Allie lead the way back to the two bikers and two other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles who were gathering at Charley's tow truck. 

Throttle did a double take. Yes, it was Charley's blue tow truck. "What are you doing with Charley's truck?" 

"You know the owner?" Mike asked with surprise. "Our van got smashed. We managed to get it to his garage, but we couldn't carry four people on three bikes. We've been really careful with it." 

"You better. She," Throttle stressed, "doesn't even let us touch it." 

Mike blinked a couple times before grinning. "Huh, maybe she'll be nice since we locked the garage for her." 

"Well, I guess Sparks didn't have time to lock the door while running from that BatWing girl." Throttle eased his bike alongside them. 

The Turtle in the red mask glared at them before turning to the other Turtle. "Looks like she made a new friend. Can we hope she'll dump Mike now?" 

The one in the blue mask sighed, and Throttle's sharp ears picked it up. "You know, we can leave you here to join Donnie and Zack." And his expression betrayed just how tempting that idea was. 

The young man, who looked like GQ's idea of a biker, twisted his confused face to the group coming to meet them and then back to the Turtles beside him. "Who is she? How does she know us?" 

"They call me the Ronin when I'm dressed like this." The girl stopped in front of them, letting them get a full view of her solid-black outfit bristling with weapons. 

Throttle made a mental note to tell his bros about her secret identity. The two humans bikers--the clean-cut one and the nerdy one--looked confused. The Turtle wearing the blue mask looked resigned. The Turtle in red looked like he wanted to pound something into pulp, and the Ronin was his first choice. 

She didn't let it concern her. "Leonardo," she pointed to the blue-masked Turtle, "Raphael," the red-masked Turtle, "Ryan," the clean-cut biker, "and Smarts, both of the Black Bones," she finished with the redheaded nerd biker. "Everybody, this is Throttle, Biker Mouse from Mars. Where's Donatello?" 

Raphael exploded. "He's still in there!" His thick, green finger pointed to Limburger Tower. 

The girl in black and Throttle both glanced over their shoulders. The goons were emerging from a parking garage on their dune buggies. "Looks like there is where he'll have to stay. Unless that truck's tricked out like your bike?" 

Throttle shook his head. "Charley doesn't bring it to firefights. When we let her come." 

The Ronin sighed. "Not more machismo. Please. I don't think I can stand it." She grabbed her jacket off his lap and headed to the large maroon trike. "Let's get going. We've got better things to do than beat up on them." 

Ryan gaped at the back of her jacket, shook his head, and then realized what she intended to do. "Look, Ronin, just 'cause you wear that jacket, doesn't mean you can handle that bike." 

"No, practice means I can handle this bike." She straddled it, gave a quiet laugh, and moved the seat down into a pre-set position. Her feet hit the props and the handlebars were easily in her reach. 

"Gee, decisions, decisions. Ride with grumpy Raph or ride with her?" Mike grinned. "Nothing personal, bro," he said as he climbed on behind her. 

"And I thought you didn't like my driving." The Ronin revved the bike and headed up the street away from Limburger Tower. 

"Get going, I've got the rear," Throttle said. The other bikers climbed on their rides and the other two Turtles climbed into the tow truck. _And maybe we can get out of here without getting anybody killed._


	10. Chapter Nine: Whoa! We're All on the Sid...

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Nine  
Whoa! We're All on the Same Side**

"He's gonna die!" Sparks wailed. "He can't die!" The young mouse broke free of Charley's grasp and lunged into Tala's medbay. Modo grabbed hold of him before he jumped onto Tala. "You don't let people who help you die! You gotta fix him!" 

The blonde human woman looked even more tired. "Sparks, we'll do what we can, but I'm not a doctor, and neither is MC. I don't know what else to tell you." 

His grey face crumpled, and he pulled away from the larger grey mouse's hands. He barreled into the ship's hallway, narrowly missing Charley and shoving Vinnie aside. 

"Sparks!" Modo called out after him. He left Zack in Tala's care and chased his son, with no idea what to tell him to make it better. He found him in the ship's lounge, kicking the wall. "Don't do that." Modo said gently as he turned Sparks around to face him. He knelt down on one knee to be closer to eye level. 

"It's not right! I was there! I should've stopped 'em! I should've done something!" Sparks was so close to tears his whole body shook with the effort to contain them. 

_Damn, I'm supposed to say something. What can I say? I don't know how to make this kinda pain go away for myself._ Modo felt his words fumble away as he tried to say anything. A gentle hand touched his shoulder. 

"You did everything you could, Sparks," Charley said quietly. "You got our attention twice in one night. Not easy to do with these three lunkheads. If it hadn't been for you, he'd still be in Limburger Tower." 

A large tear started to roll out of his right eye. "But it's not enough." 

Modo wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "Maybe, maybe not. As my grey-furred Momma used to say, only time will tell." Sparks buried his face against his father's neck and shoulder. Modo looked up at Charley and mouthed 'thank you.' 

The human woman with red-brown hair nodded sadly and placed her hand on the back of Sparks' head. 

* * *

Tala's face twisted slightly as Modo left the medbay. "Hell, it's not like I want the kid to die." 

Vinnie stepped closer to the door as Charley went after Modo and Sparks. "Don't take it personally, babe. He's just like Modo--can't stand to see anybody hurtin' unless it's Limburger." 

"Whatever. Help me get him comfortable. Looks like he's going to be stuck in bed for a while." 

Vinnie took a deep breath as his heart pounded. _Show no fear, damnit! You'll never impress her if you freak out._ He moved inside quickly, avoiding the robot arms as much as possible, and started taking off the human boy's boots. _This ain't Karbunkle's lab! This ain't Karbunkle's lab!_

Tala didn't say anything about his nervousness. "Does he have a name?" She started unbuttoning the boy's shirt. 

"Sparks called him Zack." 

"Well, Zack has nice jewelry." She started to pull a circular medallion--an intricately carved profile of a dragon's head with a purple gem for its eye--over his head. 

The boy's hand wrapped around her wrist with surprising strength. "Mine!" 

"I'm taking it off, not stealing it." 

His grasp began to loosen. "Sis? Allie?" 

Vinnie jerked his head and stared at the kid's face. Even disregarding the purple color his skin was taking, Zack didn't share any resemblance with the Allie he had met earlier. 

"My name is Tala. I'm just trying to help you." 

Vinnie felt a wave of jealousy. He wanted Tala to speak that gently to him, just once. 

Zack dropped his hand. "You have her eyes," he said in an almost soundless voice. "Eyes that have seen a thousand pains and never shed a single tear. That's how Mike described her eyes in a song." 

Vinnie looked up at Tala's face as Zack fell unconscious again. The color was different--Tala's eyes were a steely grey-blue--but the same haunting pain filled them. How had he missed it before? "He's right." 

Her head jerked up so sharply, her short blonde hair seemed to bristle. "Turning into a poet, Mouse Scout?" 

"No, I've met his sister. That means his clan name is Baker." 

"They're called last names on Earth." 

Vinnie shrugged off the information. _Does she even know her brother is here in Chicago? Or was captured with Sparks? We need to radio Throttle, so he can tell her._

"Is she pretty?" Tala asked bitingly. 

That tone got his attention. "Jealous, Doll-face?" 

"I was asking for comparison." 

"Good answer," he returned sarcastically. "She's shorter than you, with light blonde hair down to her shoulders and sky-blue eyes. Three scars across her cheek like this." He traced them against his own face best he could. 

Tala took the medallion and set it carefully in a small, box-shaped shelf mounted on the wall near the head of the bed. "Do you give such detailed descriptions of guys?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. Which pulled the fabric of the robe in interesting ways, Vinnie noticed. 

"Not hardly. But really, you don't have anything to worry about. I could make her swoon if I tried, but I'm not getting between whatever she and the mysterious Mike have going. Any guy that can see her that well deserves her." He turned away so he wasn't directly facing her but could still see her face. "Sides, it would mess up what we got goin'." 

Her face shifted to that vulnerable look she didn't use often. "We don't have anything." 

"Yes, we do. It's just not official yet." 

"You are the most deluded mouse I have ever...." 

The feminine electronic voice of the ship's computer interrupted. "We have intruders in the building." 

"Throttle's back?" Vinnie turned to the computer terminal. 

"No, these are two unidentified humans. They transported onto the third level. Somehow they managed to elude the detectors." 

Tala turned back to the computer terminal and gave Vinnie an eyeful of her bare leg. _How much is she wearing under that robe?_ He eased closer to her as she split the computer screen between Zack's health readings and the security camera. His tail inched under the hem of her robe. 

"Unless you want it in a sling, your tail better not be anywhere near me." Her hands moved over the keys and zoomed the camera in. 

He jerked back his tail. "Who me? Grope you with my tail?" 

"Drop the innocent act. Subtlety ain't one of your talents. Have you ever seen these people before?" 

Vinnie stared at the two bikers. A huge man with dark skin, taller and wider than the Pit Boss, stood behind a skinny woman with long black hair who held a laser rifle. "Nope, never seen them before. But they're armed." 

"Yeah and I'm not. And there's still monitoring to be set up on Zack. Think you and Modo can find out what they want?" 

"Do you doubt it?" Vinnie grinned cockily at her. 

Tala sighed. "Just don't start a firefight, okay? That floor supports the rest of the building." 

"Aye, aye." He gave a choppy salute and bolted out to find Modo. He found him, Charley, and Sparks in the lounge of the ship having a group hug. "I hate to break up a Kodak moment but we got trouble, Big Fella." 

Modo released Sparks and stood up. "Throttle?" 

"No, Tala's got some uninvited visitors. Wants us to deal with 'em since she's in her robe and all." 

"You two watch the kid. Let's go, Vin-man." They left the ship through its underbelly ramp and headed to the freight elevator. "How many?" 

"Two, armed. But the guy is twice as big as you are. I'm talking Andre the Giant category." 

Modo grinned. _Probably as ready to pound someone as I am,_ Vinnie thought. "This should prove interesting," the grey-furred mouse rumbled. 

"Tail whippin' time." 

* * *

Trash headed out of the last empty and partially renovated apartment on the floor. "This is a complete bust. We should go back to that Limburger building." 

"You'll go back," an angry voice answered her. And Eight couldn't talk. 

She swiveled around to face the other end of the hall. The freight elevator's wire cage door was thrown open and two male furries stepped out. Deliciously sculpted males that resembled giant mice close to seven-feet-tall. _But Mickey never looked that yummy._ The second thing to register was that they were both armed and looked pissed. 

Eight lumbered out of an apartment from the other side of the hall and stood behind her. 

The shorter one with white fur and some sort of shiny chrome Phantom of the Opera mask on the right side of his face brandished a purple handgun built along the same lines as the laser rifle she had commandeered. And his fuse had been lit. _But what did we do? We didn't hurt anything._ He continued speaking, "You'll go back in a couple of pieces!" 

Trash glanced up at Eight and found her you-gotta-be-kidding expression mirrored on his face. She turned back to the two mouse humanoids. "So we're just going to skip the introduction and explanation bit and get right to the fun. I can handle that. Come on, big mouth. Let's see if you've got the fists to back it up." She tossed the laser rifle to Eight and settled into a boxing stance. 

He glanced up at his companion, a grey-furred mouse a foot taller than himself and sporting an eye patch over his left eye and a boxy, metal right arm. "You ain't gonna get mad if I hit her?" 

"Not if they work for the Big Cheese," he rumbled back. 

"What's a matter, afraid a girl's gonna kick your ass?" 

The white-furred mouse growled through clenched teeth. "I'm gonna make you eat that!" He charged forward, tossing aside his own gun. 

Eight stepped back and cleared almost six feet. The mouse swung a punch that she easily ducked under. Then she grabbed hold of his hips and lifted him over her head. She heaved him into his pal. They both went down. 

Trash howled in utter delight. "Share the fun!" And she dived into the fur pile, hitting one's stomach with her fist and the other's stomach with her knee. She checked her strength. _I wanna have a little fun, not find their guts around my fists._

* * *

Charley and Sparks gaped at the portion of the computer screen showing the fight. The biker girl was mopping the floor with Vinnie and Modo at the same time. Charley couldn't tear her eyes away, no matter how badly she wanted to. _I've never seen a human that could take them in a straight fight, without using martial arts or something!_

Tala's face was grim. "What the hell is she on?" 

"I gotta help!" Sparks bolted out of the medbay. 

"Sparks, no!" 

Tala grabbed Charley's arm. She skidded to a stop as Sparks disappeared. "Stay here with Zack. I'll go break that up." 

Her anger flared. "Who in the universe decided I needed to be surrounded by chauvinists?" 

Tala looked mildly amused and annoyed. "They came from Limburger Tower. Probably chasing after the kid. If we can't stop them, you're it." She reached into a cabinet under the computer terminal and brought out a laser pistol. She tossed it to Charley as she left the room. "Good luck." 

"All this for one sick kid." Charley glanced at the form in the bed. _Throttle, where are you?_

* * *

Trash had the white mouse humanoid pinned down with her legs. The grey one underneath her arms was reaching to lever her off with his metal arm. _If we were all naked, this would be **really** fun._ She snickered at that dirty thought and bent the metal arm away from her throat. He tried to stifle the grunts of pain. 

A flash of blue light lit the hall behind her and someone jumped on her back. A pair of legs wrapped around her waist, a pair of arms and something rope-like snaked around her throat. And they all began to squeeze. "Get off my Dad!" 

Her vision began to swim. She let go of the grey one and started trying to pry off the arms. But the grip was established and she couldn't find a way to break it. Her lungs burned. Suddenly, her feet dangled in the air. The mice humanoids scrambled to stand up. 

"Let me go!" The shrill voice cried behind her head. A violent shake followed that demand. Another shake and Trash was released. She landed on her hands and knees and gratefully gulped down air. She looked over her shoulder. Eight held a smaller grey mouse humanoid by the base of his tail. 

She turned back and coughed. The other two had reached their feet and the larger grey one's remaining eye glowed red. "Let go of my son!" A boxy portion of his metal arm lifted up and pointed at Eight. 

The larger black man's eyebrows lifted up higher on his shaven head as he stared down the barrel of the weapon. He wrapped his left hand around the mouse's waist, let go of the tail, and handed him to the father. The red eye's glow faded as his face grew more confused, but he took his son and set him down beside him. 

Trash cleared her throat. "Oh man. See me later tonight for some S&M." 

Eight laughed in deep hoots. The white-furred mouse humanoid snickered loudly. The large grey-furred one spluttered. And the voice of the one who had grabbed her demanded. "What? What is she talking about? What's so funny?" 

Trash took a good look at him as she stood up. The kid was about four feet tall--a little shorter than Zack--and obviously younger than his strength had led her to believe. "Oh crap, you haven't even hit puberty yet!" Her face grew hot. 

Eight hooted louder. Trash whirled around to glare up at him. "If you tell anyone about this, you are dead!" 

His white teeth gleamed as he grinned. He tapped his temple then pantomimed a talking mouth with his hand. 

"Oh that's cute. Real cute." 

"Excessively," a new female voice added. Eight turned and Trash peered around his bulk. A human woman with short, tousled blonde hair and dressed in a red and black, rigid jumpsuit, held what looked like a tranq rifle. "Good job breaking it up, Sparks." 

"Thanks," the kid replied doubtfully. 

"Now," she focused on Eight and Trash. "Who are you and why are you in my building? And if that fat fish sent you, he sure didn't pay you enough." 

Trash looked up at Eight. Eight shrugged, pointed to himself and folded his arms across his chest, then pointed at her, and shadowboxed with his fists. 

"Oh sure, blame it all on me." Trash sighed. "I'm Trash, and this is Eight. We're not working for anybody. We're here by accident." 

"You said you came from Limburger Tower!" The white-furred mouse interjected. 

"The tan and blue skyscraper with the Limburger name on it? Yeah, that's where we were before Eight got us here. We were ambushed coming into town, and some friends got nabbed. They ended up at that Limburger Tower; we went in to get them out, but seriously underestimated the amount of firepower needed. And then Eight teleported us here and left everybody else back at the skyscraper getting shot at." _And we've been in worse spots. Ryan'll get out. He better get them out!_

Eight shrugged with a resigned expression. 

"Wait a minute," the owner of the building interjected. "We'd be able to detect energy signatures from Plutarkian transport booths." 

Trash flipped her black hair over to the left side, exposing the shaven skull underneath it. "Transport booth? We didn't use whatever the hell that is. Eight poofed us here." 

She shook her head in disbelief. "Humans can't do that." 

_What is this lady's problem? She lives with fuzz balls and still commutes to denial land? Guess I'll have to spell it out for her._ "We're not human, not anymore." 

"Are you Mutates?" the kid named Sparks asked. 

Trash turned to look at the kid and his dad and their pal. "You're not?" 

"We're Martians." 

"You know it's not always a good idea to tell everyone on Earth that." The woman in the jumpsuit informed the kid in a weary voice. 

"What are Mutates?" his dad asked him. 

"I don't know, but Zack thought I was one." 

"You have Zack? Here?" Trash nearly leaped with glee. Sparks nodded cautiously. "Wahoo! That's one accounted for! Do you have Donnie or Di?" 

The kid looked slightly disturbed by her enthusiasm. "No, who are they?" 

Trash waved it off. "Way long story and doesn't matter since we have to account for the rest of the group." _But Zack is the important one. Don't know why that norm is so important, but he's safe now. One less thing to worry about._

The white-furred Martian's finger jerked back and forth between Trash and Eight. "You're the friends he said couldn't visit him in a hospital?" 

"He was probably talking about the Turtles. But we shouldn't go to a hospital unless you want to freak out the doctors." 

"I'm going to scream or shoot somebody. Both options are looking really good right now." The blonde woman glared at everyone in front of her. "Someone better tell me what the hell is going on and I mean right now!" 

"Where do you want us to start?" Trash asked sweetly. 

Eight rolled his eyes and moved into the apartment behind them, getting out of the line of fire. 

"From the beginning," she answered. 

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Unless you're not a creationist, which in that case, there was a Big Bang." 

"You got a death wish." The large one-eyed mouse said. 

"No, not exactly." Trash said quietly. "But seriously, it is a horrendously long story. And the others are getting captured or shot as we speak. So what's it going to be?" 

Eight howled. It was an eerie, hair-raising copy of another howl. "Oh shit!" Trash ducked into the apartment with everyone following and found Eight staring out the windows at the street in front of the building. 

"Limburger hiring Lon Chaney impersonators now?" The woman in the jumpsuit asked. She glared down at the shaggy-furred, canine humanoids filling the neighborhood. 

"Maybe we poofed to London and didn't realize it," the white Martian suggested. "Grab the stakes and crosses." 

"That's for vampires, not werewolves." The large grey mouse replied. 

"Those aren't werewolves," Trash said quietly. "They're Val Tech Hounds." 

"And Val Tech is..." the woman prompted. 

"The guys that messed up Zack," Sparks answered. 

Trash look down at him, alarmed. "They messed with him? Val Tech's been chasing him from New York. What is so special about that norm?" 

Sparks shrugged helplessly. "What are asking me for? I just met him!" 

"Those things are not coming into my building," the owner declared. "Sparks, go upstairs and help Charley protect Zack." 

"But Tala!" 

"Somebody has to protect the wounded," his father added. "Now go." 

"Why does it always have to be me?" The kid grumbled as he left. Soon the freight elevator began making running noises. 

Tala shot the large grey Martian an amused look before looking back out the window. "You seem to be catching onto fatherhood pretty quickly, Modo." 

He shrugged, shifting the armored shirt over his chest. "Mama always said it was like survival of the fittest." 

"Did they follow you here?" 

The still-nameless white Martian shook his head. "No. Nothin was leavin' Limburger Tower when we booked." 

Trash sighed. "They probably followed the tracking signal in Zack. We'll have to move him." 

"Not an option," Tala retorted. "What kind of tracking signal?" 

"A chemical that makes you slightly radioactive. It wears off eventually and doesn't cause any long term damage, but you have to have some high-tech equipment to scramble the signal." 

"High-tech we can handle. MC?" 

A disembodied, electronic voice with a decidedly feminine tone answered. "Already taken the steps necessary to neutralize the signal. Should I implement evacuation procedures?" 

"Have them on stand-by. Charley has final say, should anything happen to me." 

"Understood." 

Trash felt her mouth drop open. "Wow, you have a talking house?" 

Tala smiled sardonically. "Something like that. What are these Hounds weaknesses?" 

"They're pretty stupid but strong. And they can work together as a team." Trash struggled to figure out how to explain the things that were just a fact of her life. _This is why I don't do recruitment._ "The Hounds are just cannon fodder really. They're used to overwhelm the opposition while their controllers complete their objective." 

"Which is regrabbin' Sparks and Zack." Modo's eye began to glow again. 

"That won't happen," Trash declared. "Not while we can stop it." The three glanced at each other uneasily. "Please, trust us. We can help." 

"Don't see where we have much of a choice," Tala sighed. "Your friend, Eight? He can hear?" 

Eight nodded, pointed to his ear, and then circled his thumb and index finger into the "okay" signal. 

"All right." Tala led the way to a nook at the other end of the hall that hid a stairwell door. She headed down, Trash and Eight followed, and the two Martians brought up the rear. "MC will coordinate. If it says someone is breaking in, break off and deal with it. Understand, Vinnie?" 

"Why single me out?" The white Martian sounded hurt. 

"Cause I know how easy it is for you to get carried away." They emerged in a parking garage. Tala made a slight turn to the right and opened a cabinet. She hung the tranq rifle inside and pulled out a laser pistol similar to Vinnie's. That was tucked into the holster on her right thigh and she reached into the cabinet again, tossing headsets with attached microphones to Eight and Trash. She looked up at Eight. "Gun?" 

He grinned in sheer delight and pointed to a cannon rifle double the size of the rifle Trash had. "You always have to have the biggest." Trash shook her head in mock-pity. 

Tala nodded, passed it to him, and shut the cabinet. "Let's mount up." 

"AOOOW!" Vinnie and Modo ran for the group of bikes. 

"Leave the still-standing buildings standing!" Tala yelled after them. 

"Whatever you say, Doll-face!" Vinnie jumped onto a red crotch rocket, popped a wheelie, and shot out of the quickly opening garage door. Modo followed him just as fast on a purple Fatboy. 

A bright blue crotch rocket almost identical to Vinnie's drove itself up to Tala, who hopped on and accelerated out the door. Trash gaped and looked up at Eight. He looked down at her with an equally stunned expression. "How much do ya have to pay to get one like that?" 

Eight shrugged bewilderedly. 

"Please exit through the street door." The computerized voice from earlier spoke into Trash's ear. "The exit of the bikes has attracted the attention of those life forms." 

"Right." Eight was already making his way to the regular door next to the already closing garage door. Trash cast a wistful eye at the other bikes parked in the garage. "You think she'd mind if I borrowed one?" 

"Yes, she would." MC answered. 

"I hate being a pedestrian!" Trash jogged after Eight. The Hounds turned their snarling faces to the closing doors. 

He lifted the cannon to his shoulder and fired, clearing the street. 

She chuckled appreciatively at his work. "That should keep 'em away from the doors for a while. Let's go." She ran to the throng in the middle of the street. 

* * *

Tala glanced over her shoulder when she heard the explosion near her garage doors. To her relief, the doors were still intact and the two strange bikers were wading into the fight. "Maybe they are on our side. Whatever side that is." She muttered outloud. "Somebody is gonna give me a straight answer tonight. I'll tie them down and torture them with polka music if I have to!" She turned her head back to the fight in front of her. 

The shaggy-furred creatures stood a little taller than Modo on their slightly bowed legs. Their long snouts held snarling, salivating, toothy mouths. Their fur was a myriad of shades of white, black, and brown. And on most, the pointed canine ears stood near the top of their heads. They reminded Tala of hominid versions of Earth dogs. 

They snarled and snapped their teeth as they inched closer to her bike. She gritted her own teeth. "Don't think so, pals." She flipped a switch and the laser canons popped out of their hiding places on Hot Stuff. She turned the front end of the bike in a tight arc while firing. The Hounds that weren't hit scrambled away from the perimeter she laid down. 

"Well, you're smart enough not to eat laser fire. Guess that's a sign of intelligence." Tala felt her shoulder sag slightly. _I'm really too tired for all of this shit! I'll have to tell MC from now on, we don't land on Earth until I've caught up on my sleep._

Modo was down the block to her right, herding the Hounds to the center of the block. Vinnie was doing the same to the left. _It'll keep any from this group sneaking around the back of my building. But there's so many of them._

Tala let loose another volley of laser fire. It left a large dent in the furry wall but more kept pressing closer. The girl biker with black hair, Trash, tossed her wrecked rifle aside and slugged the Hound in front of her. Its head twisted to an unnatural angle and its body crumpled. 

"We've got the wheels; it's time to use them!" Just as she gunned her bright blue bike, a loud report from a canon filled the night. A grey bundle shot from a roof across the street. It spread out and revealed itself to be a net that landed on Modo and cinched tightly around him. 

The large grey mouse's yell carried over the radio link. "Plutarkian shrink steel!" He struggled against the impossibly strong bonds, but the Hounds just turned away from him. 

"Modo!" Vinnie yelled. He popped a wheelie to fire his jet boosters. The Hounds grabbed hold of him and hauled him off the back of the bike. 

"Vinnie!" Tala revved her bike and plowed through the bodies. She saw his white tail fling one Hound into the air. Two more jumped on his back to replace the missing one. No other white fur was visible and the pile of Hounds moved closer to the ground. 

"Getoffme!" Vinnie's muffled voice carried over the radio link. 

"Vinnie! Hang on!" Tala cried back. 

Suddenly, the bike underneath her bucked. She flew off, landing facedown on the street. _What the hell! Hot Stuff has never thrown me before!_ She fought against the dismay the disloyalty caused her as she jumped to her feet and turned. 

Her bike strained against another Plutarkian shrink steel net. Its mousehead-shaped headlight flashed as it beeped angrily. Tala took a step toward her distressed vehicle when a burly Hound tackled her. 

Its snarling face dripped saliva onto the red-tinted faceplate of her helmet. Tala grunted and swung her left fist. Its head pulled back to avoid the punch. The movement pressed her shoulder blades harder against the asphalt. Its teeth clamped around her left forearm before she could pull back the arm. 

She felt the pressure on her arm but the armor held. The Hound looked down at her with a clearly puzzled expression. "It's called armor, you dumb mutt." She jammed her right fist against its side. "And this is a stun blaster." She depressed the palm trigger. 

She heaved the unconscious body off and climbed to her feet. This time, she started running toward where she last seen Vinnie. She shoved a Hound out of the way and a large mass tackled her from behind. 

Her vision swam as the breath was knocked out of her. The Hound above her snarled as it pushed her flat against the asphalt. Its mouth closed around her neck. She fought down a surge of panic. _The armor will hold, forget that the neck can snap, forget the teeth getting between the armor and the helmet!_ She tried to buck the Hound off but couldn't get the leverage. Its teeth clanged against her helmet. It pulled back with a disgusted growl. 

A howl completely different from the Hounds' interrupted. The Hound on top of her shifted its attention quickly. It yelped and its weight was jerked off of her. Tala rolled onto her back and leaped to her feet. 

Eight dropped the Hound that now had a badly twisted neck. The large black man looked down at her worriedly. "I'm okay," Tala said quickly. 

He gave her a terse nod and a tentative smile before a snarling Hound leaped at him from the side. Its claws ripped through the black leather jacket. Eight howled and tried to grab the Hound. It leaped back out of reach. 

Tala moved behind it quickly. She jumped up and wrapped her arms expertly around its neck and head. Her knee braced against the small of its back and she twisted quickly. Bone crunched against bone. The hound slumped out of her grasp. She shifted so not to land on its body when her feet hit the ground. She panted heavily as she stared down at the body, still unnerved by the ease of it. _I'm not a gladiator anymore!_

She could hear the contorted breathing from a struggle over the radio. "Vinnie!" Tala shoved Hounds aside and could feel Eight's bulk behind her. They reached the pile of Hounds intent on keeping something underneath them underneath them. She grabbed one Hound and pulled it away. A swift kick to its head insured its unconsciousness. Eight just grabbed one and heaved. 

In a short time, the white-furred mouse exploded free, throwing punches in a blind fury. Eight stepped back and let him have the last two Hounds. He knocked them both out before they could blink, then he whirled around for a new target. Tala ducked his swinging fists. "Whose side are you one, Mouse Scout!" 

He stopped, still breathing heavily, and the rage faded slightly from his red eyes. "You okay?" 

"Yes, you?" 

"I'll live." His gaze traveled over the battleground. She looked too. A lot of the Hounds had joined the non-moving category but a small army still swarmed over them. The loud report echoed again followed closely by another report. "Look out!" Vinnie tackled her and they rolled over the asphalt. Eight leaped back almost ten feet. 

A Plutarkian shrink steel net encased a nearby Hound. It snarled and began to fight the tight bonds, further tightening them. The second net landed on Vinnie's red racer. 

Vinnie choked back a snarl. He pushed himself up till he was kneeling, which gave Tala enough room to sit up. He turned back to face her and they both asked at the same time, "Where the hell is Throttle?" 

* * *

Michaelangelo felt elated, euphoric, and--least surprising of all--whole again. He knew a piece of his soul had left with Allie, but he hadn't realized how big that piece was. _Got a little too good at hiding how much I missed you. I even managed to hide it from me._

The caravan headed away from the skyscraper from his dream. Ryan and Smarts were in the lead ahead of the tow truck. Allie kept the trike they rode near the rear where Throttle was keeping an eye on the trailing dune buggies. Mike kept his arms wrapped loosely around her waist, partly not to get poked by anything on her belt. He still couldn't resist giving her a slight squeeze just to assure himself that she was here and it wasn't one of his crazy, too-real dreams. 

Allie's gloved hand left the handlebar for a moment to take hold of his and squeeze it. He sighed contentedly. She had meant what she had said earlier, as well as everything it implied. 

_Then why is she tensed up like it's all gonna fall apart? Is it Raph? Damnit, why can't he leave my girl alone?_ But it wasn't just his brother's surly attitude; she knew how to deal with that. 

_She wasn't ready to see us. She's still working things out. And she probably thinks we got dragged into this Val Tech mess because of her._ Mike's face twisted with concern. His brothers thought he never worried about anything. Truth was he worried about a lot; he just figured there was no point in further bumming someone out. And now he was worried about how to keep his girl in one mental piece. _Whatever's botherin' her is buried. She's not gonna think about it till we're safe. And they say Allie's unpredictable._

_But it doesn't matter what bad thing you think you've dragged us into. You're not pushing me away for my own good again,_ he vowed silently. 

The dune buggies behind them sped up and started letting loose laser fire and missiles. Allie swerved the maroon trike and increased their speed. 

Throttle shot two missiles from the rear of his bike. The two dune buggies in the lead swerved, avoided the missiles and the holes blown into the asphalt, and fired more missiles. The mouse's jaw dropped briefly before he snapped back into battle mode and fired missiles to intercept theirs. 

Another missile almost hit the bed of the tow truck. Leo's quick swerve prevented them from flipping over. Throttle swore under his breath and accelerated to come alongside the truck. Allie drew the trike up beside him. Ryan left Smarts in the lead and fell back to join them. 

"This ain't workin'. You get out of here; go back to the garage. I'll draw the goons off and meet you there." 

"Right," Leo nodded. 

"We're running again?" Raph demanded from the passenger's side of the truck cab. 

"We can't take him anywhere," Mike muttered in Allie's ear. 

"Sounds good to me," Ryan answered. "Are we the only ones in this city without weapons on our rides?" 

"You and a few million civilians. Get going," Throttle ordered. They broke apart the conversation formation. Ryan eased his silver bike to ride behind the truck. They reached an intersection and Smarts led the turn to the right that Allie didn't follow. Instead, she turned the massive trike to the left and managed a U-turn in the intersection. 

Throttle glanced at them as they faced the uglies. "Which part of get-out-of-here don't you understand?" His voice and expression showed his annoyance. 

"The leave-you-alone-to-deal-with-it part." 

Mike didn't bother hiding his grin. "She really hates to be left out." 

"I'm beginning to realize that," the tan-furred mouse said dryly. "But you two don't have guns, and they do." 

"Oh, we need guns? I can get guns. Tally ho!" 

Allie accelerated the trike straight for the bank of dune buggies. They decided this was the go signal and surged forward. "You have a plan, right?" She called over her shoulder. 

"I actually do!" Mike laughed at the obvious oddity of that statement as he stood on the back of the trike. His three-fingered hands gripped Allie's shoulders for support. "I'm getting a gun... from that guy!" 

He somersaulted off the trike and landed neatly on the back of a dune buggy, grabbing the kick bar as the driver overcompensated for the added weight. The Turtle beamed down at him when he stared up. "My turn to drive!" Mike grabbed the ugly's collar and tossed him over his shoulder. He vaulted into the seat, found the firing controls, and blew up two dune buggies heading straight for Throttle. 

After that, the fight didn't take long. Allie borrowed a laser pistol from Throttle and shot tires--that caused wrecks--while lounging on the sidelines. Mike and Throttle plowed through the vehicles until they were the only things moving on wheels. 

Throttle still had an unconscious ugly in his grasp when his black bike stopped. "What planet is Limburger hiring from now?" He dropped the ugly in a heap and wiped his hand on his blue jeans. 

Allie stiffened. She jumped off the trike and turned the nearest unconscious ugly over to take a good look. "Oh hell. They're mutated." 

"Mutated? Like that BatWing girl? So that's why their driving is better." 

"But what did this Limburger promise Val Tech to get a mutated army?" 

"Mutant Ninja Turtle DNA?" Mike idled his dune buggy near them. "Guys like these, with stuff like this, were our welcoming committee to Chicago. And Di seemed to think we'd be a nifty catch for 'em." 

"The old lets-trade-enemies deal," Throttle muttered as he grabbed the chin guard of his helmet thoughtfully. 

"Di was captured too?" Allie asked in a dismayed tone. 

"Yeah, but Donnie's not going to let anything happen to her. He's sweet on her." 

"This is turning into a bigger mess by the minute." She took a deep breath. 

_There she goes,_ Mike though to himself. _Switching topics, hiding what she doesn't want to think about. But I guess getting back to the others comes first._

"I thought you were just getting a gun." Allie said as she walked back to the trike. 

"I accessorized." Mike grinned, determined to make her smile under that hood or die trying. "I think it has potential. Squeeze in 'nother seat, rig up a surfboard rack on the back, and we can go find all those beaches the Beach Boys sing about." 

Throttle gunned his bike. "They blow up real easy." 

"Take all the joy out of life." 

They headed the rest of the way in silence; Allie and Throttle each lost in their own thoughts. Mike figured he liked the Martian. A little on the serious side, but it looked like he could cut loose and have fun. Too bad Leo never could remember that. 

The garage door was up again, and Mike followed Throttle inside. He fitted the dune buggy behind the car. Leo and Raph both gave him a strange look. "Where did that come from?" Leo asked first. 

"Would you believe the guy just gave it to me?" 

"No," Raph and Leo chorused together. 

Mike stuck his tongue out at them and trotted back outside. Allie sat on the idling trike, staring into space. "Babe... er... Ronin?" She still hadn't taken off the hood. 

She returned with a start and looked at him ruefully. "Why can't we have vacations like normal people?" 

"We're not normal?" 

Her gloved hand caressed his cheek. "Always trying to get me to see the bright side." 

Mike inched closer and wrapped his arms around her. "Well, you already have lookin' at the gloomy side perfected." 

The other bikes peeled out of the garage and Throttle cleared his throat. "If you two aren't too busy, we're going to find my bros now." 

"Right," Allie turned back to the trike's front. Mike answered with a sheepish grin and climbed on behind her. 

Throttle smirked as he shook his head. "What you said about Area 51 makes sense now." He shot off down the street. 

Leo looked at them curiously from behind Ryan. "What did you tell him?" 

"That I wasn't in the habit of turning people in to the government." She quickly followed after Throttle's lead. 

"You made some crack about me being green, didn't you?" Mike gave her a little squeeze. 

"He's Martian, I couldn't resist." 

Sounds of fighting got louder as they moved through another practically deserted neighborhood. A dog's howl--only deeper than any dogs' howl Mike had ever heard before--was joined in a chorus of answering howls. Mike shivered in spite of his determination not to. "What is that?" 

"They've sent out the Hounds," Allie answered. She accelerated the trike to catch up with Throttle. 

Before he could ask what a Hound was, they turned a corner and found the fight in the middle of the street. Shaggy-furred extras from a werewolf movie swarmed the block. There seemed to be a few pockets of fighting scattered within the larger group. Another Martian mouse was netted to his motorcycle on the fringe of the invading army. Loud reports drew his attention to the roofs on the right side of the street. More nets like the one covering the mouse fell down into the fray. 

"Does this mean we're the cavalry?" Mike finally asked. 


	11. Chapter Ten: And the Surprises Keep Comi...

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Ten  
And the Surprises Keep Coming**

Sparks clenched his teeth and slammed his fist down on the computer terminal. "I should be out there helpin'!" He glared at the terminal's screen, which was split between Zack's vital stats and a view of the fight outside. 

"You stay put." Charley had the same tone that Roddie always used when she thought his good idea wasn't that good. He turned to find the human woman standing in the medbay door. Zack was still out cold on the bunk between them. 

"But Dad needs help!" He gestured to the part of the screen where the large grey mouse on his motorcycle struggled inside a metal net. 

"And you're not going out there to give him something else to worry about! Besides, look. Throttle's made it back with lots of help." He turned to watch four bikes led by the tan-furred mouse pull into the fight. Charley sounded relieved, "I'll be in the cockpit." 

"Cheese, this sucks." He pulled his feet in the seat of the chair and rested his snout on his knees. 

A low chuckle came from the bunk behind him. "Same thing here, too?" Zack's weak voice sounded amused. 

Sparks scrambled out of the chair bolted in front of the terminal and stood next to the medical bunk. "What same thing?" 

"Never letting you help 'cause you're just a kid." 

Sparks made his bleuck face. "I should be used to it by now, but it sucks." 

"Big time. The Turtles were just starting to get used to me helpin'. After this, they ain't gonna take me anywhere." 

The mouse propped his elbows on the bunk. "Turtles?" 

"You haven't heard of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? I guess April needs to take 'em national." Zack's wide smile quickly shifted to a grimace. 

"I've only been on Earth for about a week." 

"They'll forgive you then. They're my friends. Giant mutated Turtles that fight with ninjutsu. Val Tech didn't make 'em, and that's why they want 'em. Dissection. I hope they didn't get 'em." 

"Is that what they wanted with me?" Sparks swallowed hard. 

Zack's dark brown, almond-shaped eyes winced. "Yeah, I bet they've never come across a Martian before." He turned his head reluctantly, glancing at the metal walls. "Where are we? Your spaceship?" 

"No, this is Tala's spaceship. _More Hot Stuff_." 

The white teeth gleamed against his darker purple lips as he chuckled. "I like that. Gotta remember it the next time I play a smuggler. She was here earlier, right? Is she hot stuff?" 

"Vinnie thinks she is." Zack's chuckles at the reply abruptly ended. He curled up, inhaling sharply with pain. Sparks jerked off the bed. Could he get Charley in time? But Charley didn't know what to do. 

The human boy panted and forced his body to lie flat on the bunk. He raised his hands and stared at the purple skin and the hard purple casing forming on his fingers. "What's happening to me?" He whispered hoarsely. 

Sparks swallowed hard. How could he tell him what was wrong? _Where's a grown-up when you need one?_

MC's electronic voice answered. "Your DNA is rearranging itself, resulting in physiological changes." 

Zack blinked. "I'm mutating?" 

Sparks nodded vigorously as MC continued. "That is the vernacular way of putting it." 

He took a deep breath. "Allie's gonna go berserk. Why couldn't I've just gotten bitten by a radioactive spider?" 

"The climbing walls with no ropes would come in handy." 

"No joke." He turned his hands over again. "What the hell am I turning into?" 

"You got me." 

He sighed wearily and dropped his hands on the bed. "Got ya out of a jamb and became a useless mess. Sorry." 

"Don't be sorry. You're supposed to help people that need help. 'Sides, you helped me. And if you can't help your friends, you don't need to help anybody. At least that's what Roddie would say." A nervous twitch lashed Sparks' grey tail against his blue-jean-clad legs. "We are friends?" 

"Sure we are," Zack grinned again. "We've been prisoners together. It's like a rule to become friends after that. That's what happened to me and Ron, for as long as that lasted." The flicker of pain that crossed his face had nothing to do with the pain in his body. "But that's a long story." 

_And one that hurts too much to tell,_ Sparks realized. "That's what happened with Roddie and Axle. And Dad and the guy he was in the Pits with, Manuelo." 

"And we have so much in common." 

Sparks's muzzle wrinkled. "We do?" 

Zack chuckled. "Well, we both get told to stay put. And you got my _Spider-Man_ reference." 

"Roddie taught me English with her comic book and movie collection. Bootlegged from Earth." 

"Roddie has good taste. Your stepmom?" 

"No, she was raising me before we found out my dad was still alive." 

"April does that for me now. We got that in common too. Do you roleplay?" 

His grey bangs fell back in his eyes as he shook his head. "Roddie has a couple _Dungeons and Dragons_ books. Said they were Throttle's before he discovered motorcycles. But I never could find anyone interested in playin'." His feet shuffled. "I haven't had any real friends before. And everybody here is Dad's friend, not mine." 

"You have one now." Zack grabbed a fur-covered hand with his purple-skinned one. His arm jerked away as his body began to spasm again. He grabbed his face and moaned. 

Sparks peered around the room. He was the only one here. "MC, do somethin'!" 

"Administrating half dosage of ibicoian." A robot arm holding a clear plastic IV bag filled with a blue-tinted liquid jerked down beside Zack's head. Another arm held down the mutating human's arm while a third carefully inserted the IV's needle. 

Sparks clenched his fists. The spasms calmed down, and Zack's left hand fell away from his face. Hard ridges had started forming under his eyebrows. And he was out cold. "You hafta help friends. I don't know what they'll let me do, but I will do it." 

* * *

Allie felt like screaming. The Hounds were only sent out when Val Tech didn't care who got hurt. For them to send them after Zack and the kid mouse.... She felt sick. 

"Modo!" Throttle gunned his bike to the large grey mouse struggling inside the net. 

She turned the trike to the right, parking at the mouth of the alley. "We need to take the high road." 

"Or this fight is gonna be over before we win." Mike met her eyes seriously. "You need a lift?" 

"Yeah, I'm out of grappling hooks. Save the weapons. If those nets are strong enough to stop Modo, they might come in handy." 

"Just imagine the trout you could catch with 'em. Maybe even Jaws." He swung his custom-built grappling hook and rope to the roof. Allie grabbed hold of his shell and he hauled them up to the rooftops. 

As soon as it was within reach, Allie grabbed the rim of the roof and pulled herself in a crouch next to Mike. Two snipers, about fifteen feet apart, were in front of them. Another sniper was on the building behind them. 

Mike touched her arm. He touched his chest and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. Allie nodded to show she understood, then creeped to the first sniper. Mike waited until she was close to him and then leaped to the other roof. 

The sniper never looked up as she crept behind him. One blow to the back of his neck and the Val Tech guard dropped the shoulder cannon and slumped to the floor. She picked up the cannon. It didn't look that hard to operate. 

"Hey!" The other sniper in front of her yelled. He dropped the net cannon and grabbed a laser rifle. The shots weren't coming anywhere close. 

Allie rested the cannon on her shoulder and fired. The Val Tech guard dodged the net and started firing at her again. So he completely missed the other net coming down from a different trajectory. 

Mike trotted up to her, a net cannon propped cockily on his shoulder. "He wasn't expecting that, was he?" 

"No, he sure wasn't." 

They walked up to him warily but his arms were pinned so he couldn't fire the gun. "You dirty freaks!" 

"Your mom must be so proud," Mike sneered. 

Allie picked up the second cannon and slung it over her shoulder with the handy strap. She walked to the edge of the roof. She scanned over the fight, "Oh no. Eight is hit." 

"How bad is that?" 

"He's like Darkman now. His pain receptors don't work and he could bleed to death in the middle of a fight." 

"Doesn't feel ouchies, can't talk, no control when he poofs away; didn't he get anything good out of his mutation?" Mike asked. 

"I never had the guts to ask any of them that. You gonna help the others?" 

"Yeap." He set up the grappling hook and rope. "Dog creature bad, right?" 

"Right." Allie climbed on his back and they repelled down the side of the building, splitting up on the street. She forced Hounds out of her way until she reached the giant black man. 

He balled his fists, raised his arms to punch, and snarled down at the black-clad figure in front of him. Allie jerked her empty hands up. The net cannons hanging on her shoulders almost upset her balance. "Easy, Eight! You're bleeding!" 

He lowered his fists as he stared at her. Recognition dawned on his face. He made a surprised grunt and swept her up in a bear hug. 

"I missed you too, you big lug! Now put me down." 

Eight set her down gently on her feet with a sheepish grin. He took the net cannons off her shoulders and dangled them in his right hand. 

"You need patching," she said briskly. "Where can we go?" 

His expression turned thoughtful. He pulled of the microphone headset and handed it to her. 

Allie took the headset and spoke into it. "Hello?" 

"Who is this?" The electronic voice snapped in her ear. 

"Eight has been hit. I need a place to patch him up before he bleeds to death." 

"There is a medbay on the second level. Please enter through the street door. The garage is locked down." 

"All right." Allie glanced to the building they were in front of, a seven-story brownstone. The way to the front stoop was mostly clear. "Let's get inside, quickly." 

* * *

"Modo!" Throttle gunned his black and chrome bike and pulled up alongside his Plutarkian shrink-steel-wrapped bro and bike. 

The grey-furred mouse struggled to shift the strands of the net in front of his bike's laser cannons. His eye glowed red from the fury of being restrained. He shook his head as much as he could as Throttle started to dismount. "Don't worry about me. Help Vinnie and Tala; they lost their bikes." 

"Alright, Big Fella. Then we'll get Tala's can opener." He didn't like it, but he respected Modo's wishes. He scanned the alien-filled street and spotted Tala and Vinnie near the other side. The dog-like humanoids reminded him of Sand Raiders. 

He took another glance at the battle, locating the other good guys. Tala and Vinnie were fighting back to back. Ryan and Smarts charged on their bikes into the fray twirling chains above their heads. Leonardo and Raphael cut through their opposition. Allie and Mike had disappeared. 

He gunned his bike and moved into the thick of the fight. Unlike Sand Raiders, these creatures didn't run from a fight. Most dodged the laser bolts from his bike to slam their furry bodies against his. He shoved one snarling beast away with his right foot and plucked another one off his right side with his tail. 

Four more replaced them. A pair of clawed hands wrapped around his arm and yanked. Another shoved on the opposite side. "Gonna hafta do better than that, Milkbone breath!" He wrenched his arm to reach for his gun. Before he could clasp his pistol, his left side was tackled as the guy on his right arm yanked. His bike wailed as she wobbled and fell to the right. He cursed as he tried to break free but the bodies added their weight to the momentum. He crashed against the pavement and grunted with pain as his bike and the dog-like creatures pinned his right leg. 

A snarling mouth in a long snout inched closer to his ear. 

* * *

No hassles kept Allie and Eight from finding the converted infirmary inside the old apartment building. The examination table there was strong enough to support Eight's weight. He waited patiently on it while Allie dumped the net cannons and headset in a corner, then found a chair to stand on so she could reach his shoulder. 

The wound wasn't as bad as she had thought it was--one slash, about an inch deep, with a couple of scratches beside it. "Your jacket took the worst of it." She pulled the black leather Black Bones jacket off his lap and tossed it beside him on the examination table. 

He grunted in agreement and touched the black spandex mask on her face with gentle, curious fingers. 

"It's my secret identity." She paused in pressing down tape across the gauze she had placed on the wound to pull her hood off. "The Ronin. I even made the news in New York." 

Eight harumphed and traced a bandanna around his eyes. 

Allie shrugged as she resumed bandaging his shoulder. "They think they're the only ones who can fight. Mike is the only one who knows what I can do." 

His eyebrows shot up. Then he grinned and made kissing noises. 

She blushed. "That's none of your business. What about Zack?" 

He shrugged an I-don't-know gesture with his right shoulder and switched to sign language. *You know Zack?* 

"He's my brother." 

He winced. *They didn't tell us. He's here.* 

"I know, the mice got him away from that skyscraper. And I know he's hurt." 

*Val Tech did it.* His face hardened to black stone. *The little mouse boy said so.* 

"I figured." Finished with the bandaging, Allie climbed off the chair. "Let's go find him." 

They headed up in the freight elevator. It took a long time to reach the next floor, a metal catwalk stretching from the elevator to a door on the opposite wall. The elevator finally stopped inside a huge warehouse-like room created by knocking out the floor between the top two stories. Parked inside was a sleek black spaceship. _More Hot Stuff_ was painted across its side in white. "Of course," Allie muttered, "they're Martians. They have to have a spaceship." 

Eight tugged her jacket sleeve to get her attention. He pointed to himself, then drove an imaginary steering wheel before pointing to the ship and wriggling his eyebrows with a grin. 

Allie managed a wan smile. "Well, maybe if you asked really nice with you big, brown, puppy-dog eyes. Zack?" 

The shout brought Modo's son down a ramp under the spaceship. "Who are you?" He asked with a suspicion-hardened expression and a laser pistol in his hand, aimed at them. 

"Take it easy, kid. We talked before, remember?" She raised her empty hands. 

"The girl on that weird communicator. That still doesn't mean I should trust you. You were wearing a mask." 

Her opinion of the kid's intelligence went up some more. "You sure you're not from New York? BatWing doesn't like me. Does that count for anything?" 

Sparks considered that and lowered the gun. "You got good taste in enemies." 

"Thank you. Is my brother in there?" 

"Your brother? What's so scary about you?" 

Eight laughed with a deep hoot and signed quickly. *Everybody asks that.* 

"Not everyone. Come on, Sparks. I really need to see him." 

The kid looked pensive. "Charley, is it okay?" He called back into the ship. 

"Let them in." Sparks led them up the ramp into a metal hallway. Eight had to stoop to keep his head from hitting the ceiling. The red-brown-haired woman Allie had met earlier greeted them. "Look, I just want to warn you. This might be a little shocking." 

_No, please, no._ Allie felt her whole body stiffen. "Where is he?" 

Charley sighed and led them a short way down a metal hallway to an open doorway on the left. She shot Allie a worried look before stepping out of the way. 

Allie took a deep breath and stepped into the futuristic doctor's office crossed with an assembly plant. Zack was tucked comfortably into the bed beneath the robot arms. Her heart lurched as she stepped closer. _I left him. I left him, and he got hurt. He got hurt because of me._ Eight moaned in the doorway behind her but it only registered in her inventory of details. 

Zack's skin had turned dark purple. His face contorted with pain, even though his body had mercifully passed out. She brushed his straight black hair away from his eyes. He always needed a haircut. Bumpy bone ridges were growing underneath his eyebrows. 

_What have I let them do to you?_ A small voice in her mind sobbed in heartrending pain. The louder, rational voice kept reiterating why this shouldn't be a surprise. How she knew Val Tech had her DNA on file and how their computers often made identity mistakes between siblings. Zack had been tagged and they had chased him here thinking he was her. And underneath both voices, rage boiled with the desire to strike back, with the need to make the ones responsible hurt as badly as she did, as badly as Zack did. Her black-gloved hands clenched into fists. She had to consciously straighten her fingers. And that was exactly what she could not give into, if she wanted to prevent becoming a hate-filled monster. She focused her thoughts on pulling off the gloves and taking Zack's right hand in hers. 

* * *

Eight turned away; his stomach clenched into a knot. Her brother, the only family Allie Cat had and Val Tech had found him. He gazed down at his large, strong hands. But he hadn't the strength to protect that little boy. And he didn't have the strength to take away Allie Cat's pain. 

He looked up at the norm woman called Charley and the Martian mouse-boy Sparks. She bit her lip with worry watching the two in the room. The little mouse looked like he was going to cry again. He snapped his fingers to get their attention. *How many injections did they give him?* He signed with his hands. 

Sparks looked confused and turned to Charley. She shrugged apologetically and helplessly. "I'm sorry; I don't know sign language." 

"That's sign language?" Sparks asked. "That's not what the Coyote did on those old cartoons." 

Eight sighed with frustration. _No, I couldn'tve ended up with telepathy or something. I have to play charades to talk to anyone._ He pantomimed injecting a syringe into his arm and pointed into the room. 

Sparks figured it out first. "Yeah, they gave him an injection. Howdja know?" 

Eight sighed again and pantomimed the injection, this time holding up one finger then two. 

"How many did they give him?" Charley guessed. Eight nodded. 

Again the mouse kid supplied the answers. "One, something called M-175. Then they locked us up in a cell and we broke out. And then Zack started gettin' sick." 

_Oh hell. Oh hell. It's worse than I thought._ Eight's shoulders slumped. He turned and looked into the tiny medical room. Even if he could fit his bulk inside, there was nothing he could say or do to help her deal with the pain and the rage. He recognized the determined rigidity of her shoulders. That hadn't changed in five years. No one could find the right thing to say to rid her of it. He turned and lowered himself out of the ship, sitting down on the bottom of the ramp. He was right; it held his weight. 

He sat there, lost in his jumbled thoughts, until a hand touched his right shoulder. He looked up the ramp to see the young woman with sad green eyes looking back at him. He stood up awkwardly to give her enough room to get down. 

She reached the floor, looked up at him and brushed her hair back with a nervous gesture. "I want to talk to you. You know what's going on. Why did they, Val Tech, do whatever they did to a child?" 

Eight wearily sat back down on the ramp and rummaged in his jacket for a battered notepad and pen. He tossed the jacket on the ramp and started writing. **Why do it to any of us? They want to get back at Allie Cat. Val Tech probably thought they were chasing her and when they discovered the truth, it didn't matter. Snake-eyes should have told us who Zack is. We could have protected him better if we knew.**

Charley read the note quickly. "You fight Val Tech? That's what the Black Bones are doing now? And who's keeping the gang going?" 

Eight chuckled. **Do you want the answer to life, the universe, and everything while we're at it? Yes we fight Val Tech. Skulls found us, trained us, and made us badass bikers. You got a claim to the name? We've earned it. Skulls said so.**

"Sorry, everything's a little crazy right now. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Why does Val Tech want revenge on Allie? And what do they want with my friends?" 

_So she knows Skulls._ He filed the information away to inquire about later. He raised his hands and made big mouse ears on the sides of his head. 

Charley's lips twitched in spite of herself. "Yes, those friends." 

**When she rode with us, Allie Cat was the worst terror for Val Tech. She has a knack for breaking and entering into their labs and for fighting by figuring out their moves and beating them to it. We had the highest success rate of all teams. Why do you think Val Tech wants the Martians? What have they done to you?**

"Allie called her BatWing. You know her?" Eight nodded grimly. "She grabbed Sparks, probably to bait a trap. She knew all about the guys. But Allie's being with us knocked her for a loop. She changed her mind about whatever she was doing and took off with Sparks." 

**You're lucky to get him back unhurt. I don't know of a reason why Val Tech would chase after them, but they never seem to need a reason to hurt people.**

She sighed. "I hope Throttle's found out something." 

_Another Martian? Man, what are they doing here, starting a colony? Need to remember to drop Ryan a hint to find out. But first we have to stop Val Tech._ Eight waited to see if Charley had any more questions but she seemed lost in her worries. 

* * *

The snarling mouth in the long snout inched closer to Throttle's ear. The tan-furred mouse struggled, but his leg was trapped under his bike and the dog-like creatures kept pressing against his arms and shoulders. He glanced up at the one getting closer. "I'm glad I got a helmet on. Your breath must be killer." 

The creature didn't appreciate a sense of humor. Its clawed hands whacked the back of his helmet. Throttle winced at the sound of metal on asphalt, but was glad it wasn't his face. "Done in by some Plutarkian lapdogs. Not exactly the way to insure a place in the hero hall of fame." The fist whacked his helmet again. 

"Throttle's down?" Vinnie's voice squawked over his helmet's radio link. "When did Throttle get here?" 

"Never mind, Mr. Observant," an unfamiliar female voice answered. "I see the Hounds on him. Leave him alone!" 

A booted foot slammed into the skull of the Hound batting his helmeted head. Bones crunched and its body spasmed. The foot shoved the dead weight aside so it wouldn't land on the mouse. The other two Hounds holding him down released him to face this enemy. 

The female laughed a little wildly. "Oh you want a piece of me? Here doggie, doggie!" 

The Hounds leaped with a growl. Throttle heard fists smacking and more bones crunching. He saw the Hounds fly over him and his bike. He grunted and started to push his bike upright. 

"Hang on a second." Two human hands wrapped around the bike's frame and lifted. His bike settled back on her wheels, and Throttle scrambled to his feet. His right leg felt bruised but otherwise fine. "Such a sweet ride," the girl crooned, and Throttle turned to thank her. 

She was a biker dressed in tight blue jeans and T-shirt with the very familiar Black Bones jacket wrapped around her. She was skinny and angular, yet she possessed an aura of dangerous sensuality. Her shoulder-length black hair draped over the left side of her head and showed her pale shaved skin up to a Mohawk. "Yummy, yummy, yummy." Her hazel eyes blazed with an appraising lust that finally clued Throttle onto what girls meant by being stared at like a piece of meat. "And I thought the other two were cute. You got a name, Fuzzy?" She leaned provocatively toward him, letting the jacket drop off her shoulders. 

He felt glad his bike was between them, but he also didn't think it would deter her much. "The name's Throttle, ma'am. Thanks for the assist." 

She chuckled low in her throat. "I'm not a _ma'am_ yet. Hmm, think you can regulate my speed?" 

He reddened under her provocative expression and pose. _Oh man, if Charley's listening to this, I'm dead._ "I really don't think...." 

"I don't believe that," she purred. "The airheads don't blush like that." 

As much as retreating rankled, sometimes it was necessary. Like now. "We should get back to the fight." 

"Looks like the others have things under control." 

Throttle cursed silently seeing that she was right. "Then I need to help my bro." 

She peered back up the street. "He still stuck in that thing? Lead the way." 

That wasn't what he had in mind, but he sighed and climbed on the bike. She leaped on the bike behind him and pressed her body against him. Throttle gulped but didn't say anything. _Maybe if I just ignore her, she'll take a hint._ He started his bike and turned back to Modo. Her arms circled around his waist. _I'm okay with this. I'd rather it was Charley. I'm okay with this._ And he was, until her fingers brushed against the fly of his jeans. 

He choked on his breath and twisted the handlebars with an involuntary spasm. His bike beeped angrily at the treatment and righted herself. The girl's arms came loose and he took the opportunity to pin them to her sides by wrapping his tail around her. "Don't do that again!" He growled as he regained control of himself and the bike. 

His anger and embarrassment didn't faze her a bit. She glanced down at his tail then into his eyes that glanced over his shoulder. "Into kink or just a control freak? Either one works for me." 

"I've got a girl!" 

They reached Modo and he turned her loose with exasperation. His bro's face contorted as he struggled to keep from laughing. "Havin' difficulties?" he finally managed to get out. 

"Do you want out of that thing or not?" Throttle snapped. 

"Hell yeah, I was meant to ride free." 

Throttle sighed, dug into the storage compartment of his bike, and pulled out the portable welding torch. He examined the net, darkened the faceplate of his helmet, and started cutting through a strand. The flame barely melted the metal. 

The girl peered over his shoulder. "What is that stuff?" 

"Plutarkian shrink-steel." Modo grunted as he eased his foot away from the strand Throttle was cutting. 

She blinked. "Okay. What's Plutarkian?" 

"Later," Throttle answered tersely. "If you don't know, we'll have to tell the rest." 

"Alright, but why don'tcha just slice halfway through a whole bunch of 'em at once?" 

"Cause Modo still won't be able to break it." 

She sighed. "Who said anything about him? Just do it, will ya?" 

Throttle sighed. The strand was about halfway cut, so he shrugged and moved up. He got seven strands, then she nudged him out of the way. She grasped the long vertical strands and began to pull the weakened area apart. He was prepared to laugh at her efforts, but instead his mouth fell open as one strand after another broke apart. 

She shook her arms loose as she stepped back. She looked at Throttle and winked at his still-shocked expression. "Impressed yet?" 

He snapped his jaw shut before saying. "You pull while I cut, Miss?" 

"Trash, just Trash." 

They worked quickly after that, and Modo and his bike both stretched gratefully. "Man, that stuff's always a tight squeeze." 

"Speaking of tight squeezes," Trash turned her intent gaze on Throttle again. 

His bandana felt tight around his throat. He was spared having to hear the rest of her statement by the silver Ninja racing bike roaring to a stop next to them. Ryan pushed up the faceplate of his dark blue helmet, revealing his smoldering expression. "Where's Eight?" 

"Out there fighting," Trash answered a little bewilderedly. 

"Not. Why don't you try looking for him instead of your next bed partner?" 

Her face went scarlet, then paled. "I was helping." She turned and marched back into what was left of the fight. Ryan glowered at Throttle and Modo for a few more seconds, then raced his bike back into the fray. 

Modo blew out his breath. "What did you step in the middle of?" 

"I didn't step in nothin'! She made a pass at me!" Throttle pulled his helmet off. He could feel his antennae dropping with his sagging shoulders. "And Charley's gonna wail into me." 

"Look, that Trash girl is trouble. Anybody with half a brain can see that." His bro laid a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Just show 'em both that Charley's your girl no matter what." 

"I hope it works. Vinnie's the one who gets his kicks havin' women fighting over him." 

"Yeah. So how come it's never happened to him in real life?" 

* * *

Mike gave his nunchucks a final twirl and tucked them back in his belt. The vast majority of the Hounds lay dead in the street. The others had turned tail and were running into the night. No one was yelling to chase them down, so he straightened his bandanna and adjusted the net cannon slung against his shell. 

"That self-righteous prig! What right does he have to tell me who to sleep with? Just because he has issues with having fun!" Trash's angry face stalked past without really seeing him. 

"Hey, so this is where you poofed to." 

She pulled herself to a stop and tried to calm her anger. "Yeah, landed right in the middle of the invasion from Mars. Have you seen Eight?" 

"Allie grabbed him to patch him up. Don't know where they ended up." 

She froze. "Allie? Allie Cat Baker? She's here?" 

"Oops, I probably shouldn't have said anything. But then, she probably went to check on Zack." 

Her face went pale. "Zack is her little brother?" 

"Yeah, look we should've told you but Raph was throwing such a fit. It'd just get worse if he knew you were friends of Allie's." 

Mike wasn't sure what reaction he was expecting, but he wasn't expecting her hazel eyes to well up with tears and her face to crumple. "Val Tech hurt him. That's what they said." Before Mike could ask anything, she whirled and ran. He jogged after her as she headed for a woman in a tight, red and black jumpsuit and a white-furred Martian mouse. 

"Well, apparently, that's over with." The woman pulled off the grey helmet shaped like the ones the Martians wore, revealing the sharp profile of a human woman with short, dark blonde hair. "Now, can somebody tell me what's going on?" 

"I bet everyone else is clueless too." The mouse answered before Trash grabbed him by the green straps he wore across his chest. "Whoa! Watch the merchandise, sweetheart!" 

"Not again," the woman sighed. 

"What did Val Tech do to Zack?" Trash demanded in a distraught voice. 

"Let him go. You learn a lot more if you ask before choking." 

"I'm not even close to choking him!" 

The woman in the jumpsuit continued as if she wasn't interrupted. "And it's also a good idea not to shake down the least-scientific knowledge of the group." 

"I just love the way you jump to my defense," the Martian grumbled as Trash released him. 

"How to explain this in small enough words for you to understand." The conversation was starting to draw the attention of the others, Mike noticed. "His DNA is...." 

"Mutated," Trash snapped. 

She looked surprised that Trash had somehow anticipated that announcement. "Mutating, ongoing. And I can't find a way to stop it." 

Trash's face fell even more. And then her face grew furious and her vocabulary took an interesting turn. Everyone's eyebrows rose with her combinations of cuss words. She finally regained her temper long enough to ask, "Ongoing? They only gave him one shot?" 

"Don't look at me." The white-furred mouse stepped back. "I wasn't there!" 

Ryan and Smarts drove up on their bikes. Leo ran up, his katana still in his hand and Raph reached the group after him. Throttle and the grey-furred mouse freed from the net rolled up on their bikes. "What's going on?" Leo, Ryan, and Throttle asked at the same time. 

Trash whirled, grabbed Leo's shell, and nearly yanked him off his feet. "Why didn't you tell us Zack is Allie's little brother? They got a hold of him and now he's going to die!" 

_I hate to leave ya in a lurch, Leo, but I'm needed elsewhere._ Mike eased away from the group and headed to the only building that looked occupied. 

The front door opened into an alcove, which opened into a hall. A freight elevator was at the right end of the hall and up on a higher floor. He hit the controls and watched it come down from the top floor. "Well, somebody's up there." 

It moved up quickly, and soon he saw the warehouse-like room and spaceship parked inside it through the wire-grill of the elevator door. "And I thought our garage was cool." 

"Hold it right there!" A lady with sharp green eyes and brown hair with a red tint leveled a funny-looking gun in his face. 

He blinked and decided to cut her some slack, because he didn't know what kind of day she'd had. After all, April had shrieked at the top of her lungs when she had met them. "Hi. I'm looking for my girl. This high," he waved his hand near the top of his head, "blonde, dressed in black, scars on her left cheek, and probably real bummed right now." 

She lowered the gun, and he got a good look at her pretty but confused face. "Your girl?" 

The silent, giant African-American man lumbered toward them from beneath the spaceship. "Hi Eight. Where's Allie?" 

She turned slightly to see Eight. He circled his thumb and forefinger into the okay gesture and then pointed at Mike. Then he pointed to the ship and waved his hands in a no way gesture. 

"She's in the ship but I should leave her alone?" 

Eight nodded vigorously. 

"Can't do, man. She needs me. Here." He passed the net cannon to him. "Take care of this." 

He trotted up the ramp underneath the ship into a metal hallway. Another Martian--a little boy--whirled around from a door. "Who are you?" He demanded with a sniffle. 

"Take it easy, micro-mouse-dude. I'm just looking for Allie." 

He looked confused and unhappy. He pointed into the room he had been looking into as he turned away. Mike braced himself, gave the kid a comforting pat on the shoulder, and went in. 

Allie had taken off the Ronin's hood and gloves. She stood next to the bed, looking down on Zack and holding his hand. Zack was a mess and in a helluva lot of pain by the way his face grimaced. Mike felt his chest heave with fury. Zack was a brother, even without his relationship with Allie. For someone to do this to an innocent kid for revenge or kicks... he felt his fury solidify into a cold resolve. They would pay and justice would be swift, merciless, and green. And if Donnie's shell were so much as dinged, it'd be so nasty they'd all be wishing for a career change before it was through. That is, the ones that get a chance to think about it. He glanced back up at Allie and winced. Her stony expression and guilt-filled eyes told him everything. Zack had paid the price for deeds she had done. "Allie," he said quietly, "say something." 

"Kill," came out of her throat in a savage, choked voice. "I could kill them all!" Rage found release in her voice. "I want to kill them!" Her face twisted with horror as she realized what she had said. She let go of Zack's hand and stumbled away from him and Mike. "I destroy everything." Her body shook. "I'm so tired of being evil!" 

He grabbed her as her knees buckled. "Ssh, ssh, darling, don't." He buried his face against her blonde hair. "You're not evil; you've never been evil." 

"I killed. I wanted him dead, and my heart.... I loved it. I loved seeing the fear in his eyes." 

"Look at me." He took hold of her head and turned it to face him. "I want these Val Tech people too! Evil people enjoy the hurtin', and do it over and over again." 

"Just like me," she whispered. 

"No!" He shook her. "Allie, you ran from feeling that way again! And you never want to hurt innocent people, just the ones who do. Come on, you know me better than I do. I want these guys to suffer." The savageness in his voice surprised him and Allie's bloodshot sky-blue eyes opened wide. "And they deserve it." 

She hung her head. "They hurt him because of me." A tiny sob escaped before she clamped down. She pulled away from him, and her fingers roughly brushed across her face until Mike caught them gently in his green hands. "We have to get started. Donnie and Di still need rescuing. We have to figure out a cure." 

"Allie," he said gently, as she tried to pull her hands away. "Don't shut down. Just stop. Let it out." 

Her eyes welled up with tears. "I can't... I can't stop. I have to make this right. It's all my fault." The dam broke and he pulled her down till they were sitting on the floor, Allie cradled in his lap. She sobbed against his neck. "It's all my fault. I should've said something. I should've told you." 

"We'll make it right." He rocked her gently and pressed a kiss against her scarred left cheek. "We'll make it right." 


	12. Chapter Eleven: Take a Moment and Catch ...

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Eleven  
Take a Moment and Catch Up**

Charley lowered the gun and tried to ignore the feeling that everything was spiraling out of control. The turtle creature wearing an orange bandanna mask and a belt had disappeared into the ship. She turned to Eight who was carefully setting the shoulder canon weapon away from anything dangerous. "His girl?" 

He shrugged and found his paper and pen. **Happiness comes in many shapes. Who are we to judge?**

_He's right,_ she told herself as she read his note and thought about the happiness she had with Throttle. "You're right. It just threw me for a loop." 

**Too many surprises in one day. It happens.**

The stairwell door banged open and they both jumped. A crowd of people surged through. Another turtle creature--this one in a red mask--and the biker girl that had been beating on Modo and Vinnie earlier were in the lead. "If these aliens have hurt Zack!" His fury was almost enough to knock her over and Charley and Eight weren't in the path to the ship. 

"I keep telling you, it's Val Tech. Is your brain waterlogged or something?" Trash retorted. 

"What now?" Charley looked up at Eight. 

He shrugged wearing a concerned expression. 

Throttle came up her quickly, giving Eight a swift look over before almost hugging Charley by grabbing her arms and squeezing them slightly. "You okay, babe?" 

"Fine, just dealing with the crisis up here. Who are all these people?" 

"Aw, Charley-girl, I'm not ready for a pop quiz yet." 

Tala was the last one inside the hanger bay. "The kid is sick. He doesn't need all of this. Not to mention my medbay can't hold over a dozen people. And no one is listening to me and why should they? It's just my medbay, my building, **my ship!**" 

Throttle took Charley's hand and pulled her into the ramp of the ship. "I think we should try to defuse this situation." 

"Yeah, before something breaks and Tala makes us pay for it." 

Tala stormed up the ramp ahead of them. "You're all trespassing!" And she was ignored. 

"What did you do to him?" The red-masked turtle yelled at the person blocking his way into the medbay. 

Sparks cringed but didn't back down. "I didn't do nothin'! That scary human woman injected him with somethin' that made him sick. And Tala said you're trespassing so get out!" 

"I ain't going anywhere without Zack!" 

Modo started shouldering his way through the crowd to backup his son. A blue-masked turtle with a pair of swords sheathed to his back followed in his wake. He grabbed hold of the red-masked turtle. "Will you shut up before you get us shot!" He looked around at the group. "Can somebody start at the beginning? What is wrong with Zack?" 

A clean-cut young man Charley guessed was near her own age stuffed his hands into the pockets of his Black Bones jacket. "You really don't know? Allie rode with us until she got tagged in San Diego." 

"She has a Black Bones jacket," Charley offered helpfully. The clean-cut Bone shot her an unreadable look. 

The blue-masked turtle shushed the one in red. Modo faced the shorter young man with confusion. "Tagged?" 

He ran his hand through his short-brown hair with a sigh. "Val Tech has robots they send after Mutates and the norms that fight with 'em. The robots shoot tranquilizer darts that also transmit the DNA sequence for ID." 

"Cause once they change your DNA they put it on file." The black-haired girl in a Bone jacket scowled. 

"But Allie's not a Mutate," the blue-masked turtle interjected. 

"No but they were finally able to match a face to DNA. Making her way easier to track. She took off and disappeared from the Mutates community." 

"What does this have to do with Zack?" exploded from the red-masked turtle. 

The young man looked disgusted. "Val Tech makes matching mistakes between siblings all the time. So when they tagged Zack in New York they thought they had Allie." 

"And 'cause you bozos didn't tell us," the angry black-haired girl interrupted, "he's lying in there mutating into who knows what and the only way to stop it is to make it permanent!" 

"No," a hoarse voice said from the medbay door. Allie stood there with a tear-streaked face supported by the orange-masked turtle. "We have to reverse it." 

"There's no way to do that," a red-haired nerd wearing a Black Bones jacket said quietly. 

"Then we'll find it, Smarts! You don't understand. Zack has a responsibility that I can't take. I can't." She looked at the orange-masked turtle with an expression of such raw need it made Charley wince. "I can't, Mike," her voice dropped. "I can't lose you too." The tears started again. 

He wrapped his arms around her and tucked her crying face against his shoulder. "Get them out of here, Leo." The cheerfulness he had shown earlier had been rung out of him. He turned her away from the group and they disappeared back into the medbay. 

"That's the best suggestion made all night," Tala said. She grabbed the closest person to her--the Bone with red hair and thick glasses--and shoved him down the ramp and out of the ship. 

The red-masked turtle sneered. "Great, now the psycho bitch is having a nervous breakdown." 

Modo's eye began to glow red. He lunged forward and grabbed the turtle and carried him forward. Throttle saw what was happening, took hold of Charley, and pulled her down the ramp and out of the way. Eight looked up from the note he was writing curiously. Modo came down the ramp carrying the struggling turtle that looked like he was trying to find the right way to break the hold. Everyone else surged out of the ship behind them. The big grey-furred mouse set him on his feet and shook him hard. "You don't **ever** call a lady **that**! And you don't use that kinda language in front of my son!" 

He shoved Modo's arms away and snarled back in his face. "You're not Master Splinter and you can't tell me what to do!" 

The blue-masked turtle came down the ramp behind the Trash. "Stop it, Raph. You're not helping." 

Trash grabbed Raph's shell edge and whirled him to face her. "Goddamnit, you asshole! Don't you get it? He's dying!" She released him with an angry snarl plastered on her face. "There is no cure! The best that can be done is to turn him into a freak like us! And we don't have any way to do that!" 

The red-masked turtle reeled back, slack-jawed. The blue-masked turtle looked shocked but managed to ask, "You told Allie?" 

"Are you a complete idiot or do you just play one in life? Allie doesn't need to be told anything. She knew this was a possibility as soon as she heard Val Tech had him!" 

A movement near the top of the ramp caught Charley's eye. A grey tail disappeared back into the ship. She moved forward but Throttle pulled her back. "Babe, don't get involved in their fight." 

Eight moved over to the clean-cut biker and passed a note to him. "You're right," he said looking up after reading the note. He cleared his throat and read aloud. "This isn't helping anything. Our enemies are working together and all we can manage to do is fight. Their care of Zack proves that they are good people and we can trust them. Our fighting the Hounds and worry for Zack proves out trustworthiness. We must work together or our friends will pay the price." 

"Everybody's a little hot under the helmet," Throttle said in his calmest voice. "Let's go downstairs and find out who's who." 

"Good suggestion," the clean-cut biker agreed. 

All eyes turned to Tala. She sighed wearily. "Of course, I get to offer my hospitality. Come on people, before I change my mind." 

She led the way back to the elevator and the black-haired girl fell into step beside Charley and Throttle. "Food would go a long way toward calming everyone down," she muttered. 

"Shouldn't you give that idea to your leader?" Throttle muttered back. 

"I would if he knew the area and the bi... lady who owns the place." 

"I'm sure Tala will let you use the phone for takeout," Charley added. 

The girl gave her a critical look: one easily read as who are you, how do you figure into this, and what are you to him. Charley bristled and twined her fingers with Throttle's. _He's mine. And if you think I won't fight for him, you got another thing coming._

She made no comment about them holding hands. "Well, she didn't seem to be interested in making friends earlier." 

"How do you plan on explaining all the bodies to a delivery person?" Throttle asked blandly. 

She glanced at her watch. "They'll be gone by now. Got some sorta speedy enzyme to decompose them quickly. So by the time anybody else gets here all that'll be left is a nasty smell and some icky residue." 

Tala gave them a suspicious sidelong glance. "What are you three conspiring about?" 

Throttle let go of Charley's hand to pull the gate of the freight elevator shut. "Supper. You got a four course meal planned?" 

"That's not funny. I don't have any groceries. I just got back to Earth," Tala peered blearily at her arm where a watch face was set into the armor, "four hours ago." 

"We were thinking takeout," Charley put in to relieve Tala's mind. 

"The bodies of the Hounds will be decomposed. Just point Trash to the phone." The black-haired girl cracked her knuckles. 

Trash proved extremely good at ordering take-out, too good. Luckily, Tala had some local currency that she was coaxed into using to pay for the hundreds of dollars worth of Chinese food and pizza. 

The boys sat in Tala's living room area. A circular extended sofa filled a sunken area beside the elevator shaft facing a large television set. Charley set her last armload of food on a table Tala had placed between the living room area and the waist-high bookshelves that separated the area from the larger room. She took this opportunity to take a good look. The mercenary hadn't let them in this part of the building before they left for Mars a little over a month ago. 

Again two floors had been knocked together. The elevator stopped on what was left of the upper floor. A wide metal catwalk stretched from the elevator to the bedroom that Tala had warned them out of. A metal staircase came down from the catwalk between the sunken corner for the couch and the padded floor of the mirrored corner. A bathroom was tucked in the corner above the training area and was the only part completely closed off from the rest of the room. The kitchen and dinning area was in the last corner above the sitting area. It was all strung together with expensive art objects, comfortable furniture that had nothing in common with each other. And the orange and black Harley Davidson artwork matched nothing. 

Trash echoed Charley's thoughts with a sardonic glint in her eye. "Decorating ain't one of your talents." 

"It's all mine," Tala growled. "Now, that the food issue's been dealt with, can someone please tell me how this kid ended up mutating, who you are, and what planet you're from?" She grabbed one of the white boxes of Chinese takeout and slammed herself in the recliner on the end of the sofa. "Before I go find my bottle of truth serum." 

Charley grabbed a couple of boxes and headed to Throttle sitting on the sofa between Vinnie and Modo. The tan-furred mouse looked relieved to see her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and drew her down to his lap. "Whatcha got?" 

"Moo gai pan." She grinned at his doubtful expression. "Come on, I tried Jundland stew. And this isn't even spicy." 

"We're from this planet, lady." The red-masked turtle--Raph--had regained his surliness, and glared at Tala. 

"Maybe I should start," the clean-cut Bone jumped in. "I'm Ryan. That's Smarts," he pointed to the red-haired nerd in the Bones jacket. "Trash and Eight you've already met." 

Charley felt guilty. It hadn't even occurred to her to ask the mute's name. 

Ryan paused for a moment to take a bite of pizza. "Val Tech is a bio-engineering company, been around for a while. Tabitha Val took control in 1987 and about two years later, it began to mutate people." He forestalled the question Tala wanted to ask. "I don't know the science of how they do it and I doubt my people do either. There's two shots...." 

"Guns are involved?" Vinnie interrupted. 

"Injections, Vinnie," Charley explained. 

"Sorry," the still-disheveled mouse muttered quickly to all the dirty looks he was being shot. 

"Two injections," Ryan continued, "one that starts the mutating and the second that makes it permanent. You'd have to find one of our docs to explain it in more detail." 

"So what, you guys escaped from the lab and now hunt them down?" Tala crunched a wonton. 

"Sorta. A big group escaped and formed Mutates. Val Tech started dividing and hiding their labs so we had to divide up and find them. Some groups settled down in different cities, others crisscross the country like us. And still others are hidden away like Forsaken." He finished his pizza and grabbed a box of Chinese food. 

Charley noticed Vinnie's antennae twitched. That name meant something to him. He didn't say anything though. 

Ryan thoughtfully twirled some long noodles onto his plastic fork. "We've been a group for about six years, even though the Black Bones have been around longer. Skulls led before me and Allie was his second-in-command. Well, up until she got tagged in San Diego. I don't need to go into that again, do I?" 

"Nah, I think we all got that," Throttle answered. 

"That was five years ago. How did she run into you guys?" Trash demanded glaring at the turtle creatures. 

"Head first," the red-masked turtle grumbled as the blue-masked one rolled his eyes with a weary sigh. 

"In case you haven't guessed, Raphael and Allie aren't exactly best friends," the blue-masked one began. 

"She's psycho," Raphael interrupted. 

"Yeah, and you're a model of sanity. I'm Leonardo, Leo. Raph is this pissed-off guy. Michaelangelo is upstairs with Allie. Our other brother Donatello is still a prisoner in that skyscraper." 

"Renaissance painters," Charley blurted out finally figuring out why their names sounded familiar. Everyone stared at her and she reddened. 

"Yeah, Master Splinter named us after them. We're called the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We weren't made by Val Tech. Years ago in Japan, Master Splinter was Hamato Yoshi's pet rat." 

"Rat!" Modo spat out. Leo's face gained a what-did-I-say look. 

"Earth rat, Modo." Tala's voice was ironically amused. "Not the same species at all. Pre-mutation?" 

"Right," Leo continued to shoot the large grey mouse confused looks. "Splinter learned ninjutsu from Yoshi and was brought to America when he and Tang Shen eloped. But Tang Shen was supposed to marry another member of the Foot Clan, Oroku Saki. Saki followed them to America and killed them, and cut off the ear of our sensei when he attacked the killer." 

That earned a sympathetic wince from Throttle and Vinnie but Modo was still feeling belligerent. "Master, sensay, what are you to this rat?" 

Leo didn't get angry. "His sons. He is our sensei because he taught us ninjutsu. _Master_ is a title of respect. Master Splinter wandered the sewers of New York until one day he found four baby turtles crawling in some glowing ooze. That's what mutated us." 

"Fascinating, but what about Allie?" Trash grumbled. 

"Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen had a son and they left him with a family named Baker. He grew up, got married, and had three kids before he died: Billy, Allie, and Zack. Oroku Saki killed Yoshi and Shen but didn't find James Baker. He returned to Japan, turned a lot of the ninjas of the Foot Clan to evil, and started a crime wave there. The leaders of the Foot Clan denounced his actions and the authorities started closing in, so Saki relocated to America. By 1990, he rebuilt the Foot Clan in New York and restarted his crime wave. We defeated him and his brother Nagi took over his mantle as the Shredder." 

"The Shredder?" Vinnie chortled. "What kinda super-villain name is that?" 

"An effective one," Ryan answered. "The guy almost paralyzed the entire city." 

"The Foot Clan of Japan had enough and decided one of Yoshi's descendents should become the leader. Nagi decided to kill them off so no one could challenge him. Allie and Zack had lived with Billy for a year and the Shredder killed him. We stopped him from killing them and kept them safe." Leo gulped down some root beer. "Zack is to become the leader once he proves himself worthy. If he can't, Allie has too. And she doesn't want to." 

"_Doesn't want to_ is an understatement," Throttle commented. 

"I thought the Shredder was found dead," Smarts added. 

"He was," Raph said surly. "She killed him just three months ago." 

"Sounds like he deserved it," Trash threw in. 

"What about you guys?" Ryan set aside his empty take-out container. "Martian bikers?" 

"You haven't seen what their bikes can do," Trash said dryly. 

"Terrans ain't ready to know about us yet," Modo declared. 

_So what am I, the exception that proves the rule? And Four-by, and Manuelo, and Jack, and Pete, and Allie?_ Charley thought to herself with a worried, slightly hurt expression. 

"With a few notable exceptions." Throttle traced his finger along her jaw to turn her face to him and gave her a loving smile. 

Vinnie snickered. "Give us a break, you lovebirds." Charley sighed exasperatedly as she rolled her eyes. Throttle glared at him. Not that Vinnie noticed either expression. "The coolest Martians are bikers and the baddest are Freedom Fighters. And **I'm** a living legend among all of them." 

"When did your name change to Stoker?" Tala asked sarcastically. 

Throttle jumped in before Vinnie could assuage his wounded pride. "It was the government's policy not to reveal that Mars was inhabited until the majority of Terrans were ready to deal with the idea of aliens." 

"Smart move given how well they handle home-grown freaks," Raph grumbled. 

"The war might change everything though." Throttle shifted Charley on his lap and loosely wrapped his arms around her waist. "Mars was invaded by another alien race called the Plutarkians. Over time, they bought up our land, strip-mined it, and shipped the resources back to their home world. What they couldn't buy, they conquered. The mouse population fought back but was nearly wiped out." 

Charley leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his chest. _I know how hard it is for you to tell this story. I can only hope we can get some help out of it._

His arm tightened briefly, letting her know her efforts weren't wasted. "We crash-landed in Chicago about three years ago and met Charley." She gave a small wave so they'd know. "And discovered the Plutarkians are here." 

"Here?" Trash yelped. "Shit, as if we didn't have enough problems. They didn't get everything they wanted from Mars?" 

"They used that up," Modo's voice was tinged with bitterness. "They wasted all their own resources, so they take from others." 

"It gets better," Throttle sighed. "The building your friends are prisoners in is the local Plutarkian's headquarters." 

Ryan made a weary growl under his breath. "Why the hell would Val Tech team up with aliens that want to destroy the planet?" 

"Limburger is getting mutated goons out of the deal. We ran into some of them." 

"Hrmph. Finally found something Karbunkle can't do in a lab." Modo flexed his metal right arm as he grimaced. 

"So what is Val Tech getting? And how can they be willing to sell out the entire planet?" Leo rubbed a hand across his face. 

"Plutarkians have a knack for finding people willing to sell out." Tala stood up and pulled a binder off a nearby bookshelf. "You're lucky. Apparently the Plutarkians have avoided your base of operations. Maybe your former enemy had something to do with that." She tossed the binder to Leo who opened it curiously. Pictures of Limburger masked and unmasked stared back at him. "Gouda is in Los Angeles by the way." She plopped back into her seat. 

Ryan stood up to look at the binder over Leo's shoulder. "Who are you?" 

"The name is Tala. Intergalactic jack-of-all-trades, which mean I take on any job for the right amount of money. And luckily for you I have my own gripes with the Plutarkians. And since it's my house I'm offering some advice. You're all exhausted; riding all night would be my guess. You've all ready hit the tower once and flubbed it. They're ready for another attack now that they've seen your fighting techniques. And you've had a major shock learning stuff you didn't already know. Bed down here and we'll regroup in the morning." 

"You're gonna let everybody stay here?" Vinnie looked a little surprised. 

"There isn't enough room at the garage. Heck, I don't see how's there's enough room at the garage for you five." She stood up. "Come on." 

"Oh I get a special room?" 

"Yeah, the medbay for bandaging. You're bleeding all over my couch." 

Vinnie leaped up, smearing the blood on the back of the couch more. He twisted to try to see the injury on his back. "When did that happen? It better not leave a scar!" 

Tala rolled her eyes with a sigh. "I'm afraid you'll have to use the rooms downstairs." She told the others as she dragged Vinnie to the metal staircase. 

"We've slept in worse places." Ryan prodded his group to their feet. "If anything else happens tonight, it better not wake me up." The two Turtles followed them out. 

Trash grabbed a wet dishcloth from the kitchen area and swabbed Vinnie's blood off the couch. Throttle's hold around her waist stiffened to the point where Charley noticed. "There'll be other nights for other arrangements." She gave Throttle a flirty wink and raised her eyebrows challengingly to Charley before leaving. 

Modo stifled a chortle. "That girl don't quit." 

Charley felt her anger rising. _Who does she think she is making a pass at my man? Making more than one pass? Making a pass with me on his lap?_ "Is that why you put me on your lap?" 

He recoiled slightly from her sharp tone. "Well, I guess there's no point in going with the no-other-seats-left excuse. Yeah, I wanted you to mark your territory--not that it did any good." He set her down on the couch where Vinnie had been sitting and stood up. "Somebody needs to feed Allie and Mike." He walked over to the table of food. 

His dejected tone surprised her. The girl made a pass at him with her sitting right there, of course she should be mad. Modo reached over and touched her arm. "Don't be like Carbine," he whispered urgently, then in a louder voice. "Anybody seen Sparks?" 

"I think he went back into the ship," Charley answered. 

"Thanks. I'll take that food up, Throttle." He took the pizza box and Chinese take-out boxes from his tan-furred bro, added more to the pile, and clumped up the stairs. 

Throttle stayed at the table, his head slightly lowered. Charley stared at his slumped shoulders. _What did Modo mean by that? I'm not mad at Throttle. But does Throttle know that?_ She came up behind him and ran her hand down his firmly muscled arm. He liked that, especially the way her fingernails combed through the fur in the crock of his elbow. He sighed softly. "Throttle, I'm not mad at you." 

He turned to her, not quite taking her into his arms. "Charley, you are my girl no matter what. No biker tramp who can't take no for an answer is gonna turn my heart." 

"I know that." She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his chest. And it was true, she had no doubts at all about how he felt. 

He wrapped his arms around her. "I didn't do anything to encourage her." 

"I know you wouldn't." She loosened her hug and reached her arms around his neck. He inched his face closer to hers but hesitated. So Charley closed the distance between their lips. He picked her up and carried her back to the couch. He managed to sit back down with her on the couch and draped over his lap. 

His lips wandered down her jawbone. "I thought you'd blame me." 

"Never, love." Her fingers started combing through his hair as her lips began traveling across his cheek. "But that hussy better watch out." 

"Don't start a fight," was murmured against her ear. 

"I won't start it but I'll finish it. You're my man and she better figure that out real quick." She let herself forget about everything else they had to worry about and focused on kissing and caressing Throttle as much and as needingly as he touched her. 

"I love you," was whispered after every kiss and she was sure to repeat it. _I'm going to pull Modo aside and find out exactly how bad Carbine treated you. I love you too much to hurt you so badly._

She giggled as he tickled her slightly. "You were afraid you weren't ever gonna get nookie again, weren't you?" 

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Speaking of," he cleared his throat as he straightened his back, "we better stop before we do something on Tala's couch that'll really piss her off." 

Charley gave him her cute pout face as she slid more out of his arms and laid her head in his lap. "What are the plans for tonight?" 

He tweaked her nose. "Some of us should stay here and back-up Tala. She looked more exhausted than the rest of them." He looked up; the set of his mouth betraying his thinking mode. "I think we can trust them but that hot-head, Raph, he might be trouble." He looked back down at her guiltily. "But if you wanna go back to the garage, I'll take you babe." 

"Hmm, no, I want to stay with you." She rubbed her hand down his bare chest. "But it needs locking up." 

"Nah, I did that already. Turned the alarms on and everything. On our way here from Limburger's." 

"Oh, good." She yawned as she took his arm and trapped it against her stomach with her arms. 

Throttle chuckled as his free hand began playing with her long, red-brown hair. "Tired, babe?" 

"It's been a long day." She yawned again and closed her eyes as he rubbed her head. _I'm the luckiest woman in the universe to have you. And I'm not losing you. So that skinny slut better watch out before I take out the trash._

* * *

Allie had stopped crying again but still clung to Mike. The little mouse kid was still in the ship; he could hear him moving around. He petted her hair trying to keep her soothed. 

A pile of pillows and blankets staggered into the medical room. The pile dropped to the floor and revealed the glum kid. "All the chairs are bolted down so I brought this to make things more comfy for ya. Since its all I can do." 

"Works for me. This floor is cold." Mike started to move. 

Allie moved out of the way as they set up a pallet. "You got Zack out of that skyscraper." 

Tears welled up in his red eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's my fault." 

"Now stop that." Mike sat down on the pallet before pulling Allie back down. "Neither of you stuck the needle in him so it is not your fault. Now I don't know half of what's going on, so who wants to rewind and tell me? What's your story, micro-mouse-dude?" 

"My name is Sparks." And with a shaky voice, he related everything that had happened to him that night. Allie added things to explain the Val Tech side of things. 

Mike mulled over the information. "Well, we have to get the eggheads to help Zack; we have to get them out anyway, but staging a fight after everything that we just did...." 

"Don't ask me to think right now," Allie said softly. 

"Dad and the others'll get Limburger. They're good at gettin'." Sparks curled up into a ball on the edge of the pallet. 

"We all gotta rest before we do anything. We drove straight here from New York." Mike sighed and gazed up at Zack. _If I figured that out, Leo probably already did. Hopefully he can convince Raph that we have to hang back. Well, I guess Eight could sit on him. Need a camera if that happens._ He looked down. The mouse kid was already unconscious. "Poor little dude." 

"He went through a lot today," Allie said softly. 

"Will you be okay if I go find a bed to tuck him into?" 

"Yeah." 

They disentangled and Mike scooped Sparks up. The Martian was near Splinter's height but had a still-growing lankiness. He looked just like his dad: same red eye with strange pupils, same uneven buckteeth, same colored fur only Sparks had hair that kept falling into his eyes. He didn't wake as he moved. 

The white-furred Martian and the blonde human woman that had been with him in the street were walking up the ramp and into the spaceship hallway as he carried Sparks out. "He conked out," Mike whispered at their questioning looks. "Bed?" 

The woman sighed heavily and pointed to a door up the ship. Mike nodded and laid Sparks on the bed while they disappeared into a door. He spread a blanket over the kid. "Sleep tight, J'onn J'onzz." 

He slipped out and almost ran into the red, blue, and black chestplate of the larger grey mouse. "Where's my son?" he bristled. 

"Sparks? Right in there, large mouse dude." 

He looked down at him oddly but peered into the bedroom and relaxed considerable. "Thought I had lost him. Feelin that way twice in one day ain't good." He leaned against the doorframe. 

"Yeah, I'd guess not. The name's Mike and I gotta get back to Allie." 

That got the large Martian's attention. "Modo, and I brought you guys some supper." He guided Mike to a long room that had a TV built into the wall and a couch sitting in front of it at one end and a kitchen at the other end. A table with benches was bolted down to the floor in the middle. The Turtle's stomach rumbled loudly despite not feeling like eating. "How is she doing?" Modo asked. 

Mike looked up at him as he grabbed a pizza box. Concern radiated from his one red eye. "She cried. Usually she tries to hold that in till the job is done and it just keeps buildin' up. Maybe there won't be as many pieces to pick-up after this is all over." 

"And if her little brother dies?" 

The Turtle's face fell. "Then I lose her. And there won't be a thing I can do to save her from it." He took a deep breath and composed himself. He had to be strong for Allie. She was already thinking of those possibilities and worse. He carried the pizza back to the medical room. 

She had curled up in a tight fetal ball. He sat down on the pallet next to her. With a gentle touch, his fingers combed her light blonde hair away from her face. She sighed in her sleep but didn't waken. 

* * *

Vinnie craned his neck to try to see the scratch across his right shoulder blade. "It better not leave a scar. Don't know why I didn't feel it before." 

Tala quickly covered her mouth as she yawned wide enough to unhinge her jaw. "Your adrenaline is wearing off." She sat on the bed behind him and started swabbing the cut. 

He looked down at his feet planted on both sides of the corner of the bed. Alone in a bedroom with Tala, he hadn't expected this development so soon. But no sense wasting the opportunity. "Hey, my adrenaline never runs out." She snorted with disbelief and pressed down. He yelped involuntarily. "Okay, okay, so I'm runnin' a little low right now." 

She opened a jar and started smearing a soothingly chilled gel into the cut. "Duraskin. So you don't have to worry about scars." 

"Good, hate to spoil your pleasure." He glanced over his shoulder and wriggled his eyebrows. 

Her cheeks reddened slightly. "More like you can't stand the thought of imperfection on your body." 

_Too late for that, Doll-face._ His face fell as he turned forward. "Just came back from the _Fury_?" 

"Made a supply run to Mars among other things." 

"Where were you at during the height of the war? We could've used supply drops then." 

"I was with Rexus...." The last bit was mumbled incoherently and Vinnie couldn't make it out. 

He turned around. Tala was laid out across the bed, passed out. The recapped jar of Duraskin dropped onto the mattress. Her face slackened out of her constant wary and determined expression and looked so very exhausted and vulnerable instead. Vinnie scarcely dared to breathe but she was beyond the point of waking up. 

_Well so much for charmin' her into sharin' the bed with me,_ he thought ruefully. _I don't think she'd notice if Van Halen started playin' right in her ear._ He remember something she had said while they had been onboard the _Fury_, how she always took the opportunity to sleep off of her ship. _I'll tuck her into her bed downstairs. That'll be something nice to make up for the mess we've gotten her in._

He rolled his shoulder, decided everything was well enough, and scooped her up. Tala murmured something but didn't waken as she pressed her face against his chest. She had changed out of her armor and into a huge T-shirt and cut-off denim shorts. He carried her out of the ship, noticing that Modo had settled next to Sparks. 

He feared the elevator noises would wake her but they made it down to the next floor. He opened the door with his tail. The room was decorated predominately in an icy, pre-dawn blue and there wasn't the mix of colors that were in her ship's bedroom. No pictures were hung on the walls. He whisked the covers back with his tail and gently eased her down. Her head pressed against the pillow and Vinnie leaned over her. _A little kiss good-night._

Her steely-blue eyes flew open in a panic. Her fist swung up and connected with Vinnie's left jaw. He stumbled back, grabbing his face. She jumped out of the bed and landed in a martial arts stance. Her chest heaved. 

"Ow!" Vinnie straightened and stared at her wild face. "For your information, I wasn't gonna do **anything**! I was just puttin' ya in your bed!" He turned on his heel and marched out, slamming the bedroom door shut. 

* * *

Throttle looked down at Charley's sleeping face. She wasn't mad at him. It still felt a little inconceivable, after all the times Carbine reamed him about just saying 'hi' to another girl and the way he'd have to beg to be in her good graces again. Charley loved him and was still levelheaded enough to figure out who had done what. 

His heart beat in that odd rhythm he was beginning to recognize as Charley's pattern. _I love you more than I can say with words. I need you in ways I can't even comprehend. I can't ever lose you. And I can't let you get in a fight with a girl that can break Plutarkian shrink-wrap steel._

A door slammed shut above them. He craned his neck to see Vinnie clump down the metal stairs, rubbing his left jaw. His bro's expression got even more dejected when he saw Charley and him together. The white-furred mouse slammed himself into the recliner at the end of the couch, still rubbing his jaw. 

"What happened?" Throttle asked. "And pass that blanket." 

"She hit me." 

"What did you do?" 

"Nothin'!" He tossed the blanket to Throttle who spread it over Charley. "I was puttin her to bed, that's all. She passed out like Charley there. Then just as I was laying her down she woke up and whacked me." 

"Ya know, I've heard about couples miscommunicating but you two do it all the time." 

Vinnie looked uncommonly thoughtful and sympathetic as he leaned back in the chair. "She was raped." 

"What?" 

"I probably shouldn'tve said anything; I don't think she likes people to know." The light flashed off his metal mask as he shifted his face. 

"Who'd be crazy enough to force her?" 

"I think it happened when she was fourteen. All I know is what she's told me when she didn't mean to tell me anything." Vinnie sighed, "I can't win. Even when I'm nice to her, I mess things up." 

Throttle frowned a little with concern. "Come on, man. She was wakin' out of cold sleep. You've been known to have some pretty violent reactions when we wake you up." 

"It's her reaction when she wakes up again that I'm worried about." 

"So the Velocity Atrocity is just gonna quit?" 

He responded to the mocking tone just like Throttle knew he would. "Hell no, I never quit!" 

"But I do wish you two would shut up," Charley's sleepy voice protested. 

Throttle petted her head. "Go back to sleep, Charley-girl." 

"Lay down." 

"And give up being your pillow?" He smiled down at her stubborn but sleepy face. 

She sighed, sat up, and started pulling off her boots. "Lay down." 

Throttle tugged off his own boots, knowing he couldn't fight with that tone. He carefully set his field specs aside where they wouldn't get lost. He lay down on his back and watched Charley curiously. 

She pulled the blanket up more over her shoulders and crawled over him, then laid down on top of him, squirming until they were both comfortable. "Good night, pillow." 

He pulled the blanket a little more evenly over them both. He cupped his arms around her and marveled how he could feel her heartbeat. "Night, Charley. Night, Vinnie." 

Vinnie chuckled as he got up and turned most of the lights off. "Good night, lovey-doveys." 

Throttle sighed and wished everything to go well between his bro and Tala, so he could get some serious teasing payback. 


	13. Chapter Twelve: And Everyone Else

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Twelve  
And Everyone Else**

Greasepit hurried through the corridors of Limburger Tower, muttering to himself. "Oh boy, Mr. Limburger's gonna be so proud of me. I watched them all night and didn't get caught. Gosh, I wonder if he'll let me beat up those New York do-gooders now." 

He rushed into Limburger's office, tripped over his feet, and slid face-first into the massive wooden desk. "Ah GreasePit, my most un-valuable, most ineffective, most disheartening employee. Are you ready to report?" 

Greasepit peeled his face off the front of the desk. _Wow, Mr. Limburger thinks that much of me!_ "Yes sirs, Mr. Limburger, I followed that Val Tech goon just like you told me to." 

The large male dressed in a dapper purple suit leaned back in his chair behind the desk. He steepled his fingers together. "And what did you see, my dear boy?" 

"Well, she went tose the garage. I started tose tell her that was a bad idea but then I remembered youse said just watch. She went in and then chased the littlest mousey out. The kid ran to this bar and she grabbed him and then he yelled for his daddy. And then the big mousey that talks funny came out with the other biker bunnies. But she didn't freak out till she saw the girl in black." 

Limburger stirred. "Girl in black?" His white-gloved fingers typed on the keyboard and then turned the viewscreen on his desk around so GreasePit could see. 

Greasepit scratched his head as he watched the black-clad figure beat up goons twice her size. Black oil oozed from his fingers. "Yeah that's her. Only she didn't have the ski mask on yet. She's human," he said brightly. 

"Continue, GreasePit." 

"Well she flew back here with the little mousey and the other mouseys followed. Oh and they brought the ladies with 'em. The girl in black put on her ski mask and disappeared. The biker bunnies waited and then got the little mousey down off the roof. Then the leader mousey waited till the girl came back out. And she came out through a window with two human bikers and three big turtles. And then they all drove off. But you said follow the Val Tech goon and I did." 

Greasepit stared apprehensively at Limburger's face. This was usually the point where he screamed that GreasePit had screwed up until the oily lug passed out from his landfill breath. But Limburger was smiling at him instead. "You did wonderfully, my boy. Simply wonderful. So she knows the Biker Mice." He turned to gaze thoughtfully out of the window. "And Val Tech knows her too." 

Greasepit stayed silent. _Wow, I's did a good job. Wonder if da Boss'll tell my Mom. She'd be so proud of me._

* * *

Di paced the confines of the metal box, turning with sleek-muscled grace and wishing for something to pounce on. There had been alarms sounding and muffled explosions when she awakened. But that had ended a long time before they pulled Donatello away. 

She winced as she looked down at her golden-furred and clawed hands. How badly were they hurting him to find out what they wanted? She sighed as she tried to figure out what had gone so disastrously wrong. Val Tech had set a trap for them. And Val Tech had never had a presence in Chicago, which is why as strange as the city was, it was safe for her people. 

But Val Tech had moved in and no one had sent out any warnings. That didn't make any sense. Were the others captured? Was that the reason they hadn't brought Donnie back, because they were trying to duplicate the Turtles mutation in the norms that were with them. Like Zack? 

_Stop it! This is exactly what they want. Run your brain around so when the time comes you won't be able to think._ She took a deep breath, and accessed the situation. The cell had a ventilation grill and a thick door. The grille and the airshaft behind it were much too small for her, not to mention Donnie's shell. The door had a tiny window with a sliding door closed over it. No way out. 

Di fought down the feeling of despair. _I've managed the impossible before. This will be no different. I just have to wait for the perfect opportunity._

The cell door swung out into the hall. Two Val Tech guards flanked the door as another pair tossed the groaning Turtle inside. "Donnie." She knelt next to him, staring into his blurry hazel eyes, and stroking his sweaty head. 

"The show of sympathy. You still haven't changed, have you, Diane?" 

_No, no, no, no._ She turned and looked up at her own personal demon standing in the doorway. He was dressing better--an expensive business suit instead of the old scrubs. But the cold green eyes hadn't changed behind the glasses and neither had his hateful, loathing expression. "It's not a show," she said softly. 

"All the more reason why you make a much better experiment than scientist," the blond-haired man sneered. 

"Science is just the gathering of impartial facts. It's not an excuse to hurt people! Mother understood that." 

"Don't you dare speak of her, you murdering bitch!" he screamed. "I did the world a favor, exposing the killer in you. Your little revolution will come to nothing and you will pay for killing my wife." He turned away from the cell and the door slammed shut. 

Di turned away from the door and started to reach for Donatello. But the horror in his hazel eyes surrounded by purple fabric showed her he knew. Her hands fell helplessly to her lap as her green-gold eyes filled with tears. "Please don't tell," she whispered. "The others would never trust me if they knew. Please." 

He stared up at her face for an eternity. _I've lost his trust, his respect. No, I've lost something much more than that._ She dropped her gaze from his face. 

Donnie moved his arm and weakly grasped her hand. He squeezed it gently until she looked at him again. "I won't tell." 

* * *

Limburger looked through the material Karbunkle brought him: books, videocassettes, photographs, sheets of typed information. "Give me the condensed version, will you, my dear Doctor." 

"As near as I can tell, my cheddary creaminess, the ninja was medieval Japan's answer for hired villainy. They were thieves, assassins, and spies that worked for the highest bidder. And apparently, it is a profession still in practice today." 

The disguised Plutarkian picked up one of the movie boxes and carefully studied the cover. "The highest bidder?" 

"But this ninja is helping the Biker Mice. I seriously doubt you will be able to pay her to work for you." Karbunkle twisted his black-gloved hands together and cringed for the usual Limburger snarl. 

Instead, he chuckled. "Everyone has a price, Karbunkle. And in this case, we have something she wants." 

"We do?" The skin around Karbunkle's green goggles puckered. 

"Yes, the cure for the human boy that escaped with the Biker Mouse's child." 

"But we don't have that." 

"But she doesn't know that." Limburger chuckled again as he reached for his phone. "Ms. Felony? Please place a call to the Last Chance Garage." 

* * *

"They beat off the Hounds!" Arkson ducked as the paperweight from the desk hurtled toward his head. "We don't have enough personnel to deal with a crisis!" The strident red-haired woman slammed her hands against the desk. 

"Limburger's goon army won't be much help either. Too many of them are recuperating from their mutations or still learning their new abilities." The blond man stood back up and straightened his suit jacket and glasses. 

Val sighed wearily. "There is only one thing to do. Mutate a segment of the local populace." Her anger was gone like it had never been there. 

"That is hardly an efficient strategy, creating that many more enemies for one or two Vexes." 

"Not entirely correct. For as long as we have them imprisoned here, they are a civilian shield to operate behind." She walked away from the desk in a fluid, graceful motion. "I'll speak to Limburger immediately about implementing it. You arrange the cells." 

"Yes, Ms. Val." 

"And how is the work on the turtle creature coming?" 

"We're analyzing the samples taken from him at this moment." 

"Good. Do a thorough job, Arkson. Time is limited and we can't afford sloppy errors." 

"Yes, Ms. Val." He bowed slightly as she strode out of the room. 

* * *

Home, Manuelo took a deep breath as he shut the main door into the apartment. It wasn't much but his wife had transformed the dreary government-built housing into a tranquil escape from the world. He let his gaze travel around the living room. The bold reds, blues, greens, and white on the furniture and rug and the framed sunny pictures of Mexico warmed the beige walls. 

"Manuelo?" A lilting female voice called from the kitchen. The voice that always made his heart beat faster every time he heard it. 

"Hi honey, I'm home." He stripped off the uniform button-up shirt for the store and hung it carefully in the coat closet. He collapsed into the recliner, letting the rocking lull him. 

His wife walked into their living room through the open archway to the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. His beautiful Serafina; the only comfort he had in those cold nights in the Pits was the memory of her. And everyday with her in the two years since his rescue was a miracle. Just looking at her, standing in the doorway, made him want to wrap his arms around her thickening waist and press his face into her ample bosom and stay there forever. If his feet didn't hurt so much, he would stand up and do it. 

Serafina slung the dishtowel over her shoulder and it brushed against her short, curly brown hair. "Are you alright? Nina heard the police were at the store." 

Manuelo sighed seeing the worry in her dark amber eyes. "I'm fine. They came to arrest the stupido scum who tried to rob me." 

"Rob?" Her hand reached for her throat but instead she crossed the living room and embraced him tightly. 

"I'm okay, Serafina. I'm fine." He hugged her trembling body tightly. "A customer helped me fight them off. I'm fine." He found himself exactly where he wanted to be but his love was too upset for him to enjoy it. "Shush, Serafina, I'm fine." 

"If anything happened to you again." 

"Nothing's gonna happen to me again." 

"If no customer had been there? Please Manuelo, please hire an assistant. At least someone to watch your back. Think of Felipe." 

He eased his wife to where she could sit on the arm of the recliner and rested his head against her body. "If it makes my chica happy, I'll start looking tomorrow." 

"Thank you, Manny." Her hand gently combed through his wavy hair as she planted a kiss where his scalp was thinning. 

"Anything to make you happy." He squeezed her around her waist. 

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" The five-year-old boy tore into the apartment with his two older cousins in tow. Serafina pulled away so they could both sit up straight but Manuelo kept his arm around her waist. "Look what Tia gave me for my birthday!" Felipe could barely hold the videocassette still enough for his father to read the cover. "Can we watch it tonight, please, please, please?" His son bounced the video in his hands harder in his excitement. 

Manuelo finally grabbed Felipe's arm and paused the cover long enough to read _The Lion King_. "Sí, we can watch that tonight." His nieces, Manuela and Isabel, started shrieking as they jumped up and down. Felipe jumped but had another question. "The Biker Mice are coming to my birthday party, right Daddy?" 

"They promised they would. I'll remind them tomorrow." Now Felipe joined his cousins in their cheering. Manuelo couldn't help grinning at them. 

Serafina sighed heavily as she stood up. Undoubtedly, she was remembering what happened the last time his friends had visited. Manuelo squirmed a little. "I know, I know. No sports on the televisión. All roughhousing on the street. They promised." 

She smiled gently and caressed his cheek. "I love them just for bringing you back from the Pits. But we just paid for all the furniture. Wash up for supper," she ordered the entire room before disappearing back into the kitchen. 

The children scrambled away, disappearing down the hall so Serafina wouldn't take the movie away. Manuelo rested in the relative silence. A younger woman entered the apartment through the main door and threw herself on the couch. Her long braid of black hair fell over her shoulder like a thick rope. "Sorry Manny. They found it before I could wrap it." She lifted her feet--still in her white, hospital sneakers--and propped them on armrest as she laid down. 

His sister had just gotten off her shift at the hospital. She wasn't ready to deal with the craftiness of a nine-year-old, an eight-year-old, and a five-year-old. She tried to smooth the wrinkles out of her rumpled scrubs. "It's all right, Nina. He'll have enough to open." 

She chuckled. "You're over-indulgent." 

"Serafina did the gift shopping this year." 

"She doesn't want to spoil him rotten. What happened at the store?" 

Manuelo sighed. "Nothing, Nina. Two men tried to rob me, but they got their tails whipped." 

"I know that; I was on the desk when the police brought them into the emergency room." 

"Don't you start, little sister. I'm going to hire more help." 

"Supper!" Serafina yelled. Everyone in the apartment fell in at the table. Manuelo didn't contribute much to the conversation. He basked in the warmth that was his family while savoring his wife's good cooking. The children inhaled their food and dragged the adults back to the living room. He relaxed in his recliner and watched his family watch the movie. This is what he would never take for granted again. He didn't care how often Nina called him _indulgent_. His eyelids slowly drifted closed. Felipe and the girls sang along with the movie. Nina and Serafina got up off the couch, probably to go to the kitchen. Then a muffled boom echoed down the outside hall. 

That sound jerked Manuelo upright. The children turned and looked up at him with wide-open eyes. He stood up and strode to the door. He touched the doorknob but never got a chance to open it. 

The explosion shattered the wall. It shoved hunks of sheet rock against the opposite wall of the living room. Manuelo's head dented the wall as the door flattened against him. They slid down the wall together. The sheet rock rained around him. 

"Manuelo!" Serafina's scream lingered in the dusty air. 

"Grab them," a cold voice ordered. 

"My husband! You killed my husband! You bastardos killed my Manny!" 

The blackness sucked Manuelo down. 

The blackness gradually let go. His body ached. The Pit Boss had given him lashes with the electric whip. Then he realized he was underneath the door of his apartment. He pushed away a hunk of sheet rock and wiggled out. 

At first he couldn't concentrate on anything but the pain. When the Pit Boss hit you, the pain was over in a few minutes, just leaving you drained. _Must move. Serafina, Felipe, they need me._ He limped to the kitchen window, grabbing hold of the sill as he fought off a wave of dizziness. He glanced back to view his progress. The entire wall that separated his apartment from the hall was gone, broken and piled in the living room. Had any pieces hit the children? No, all the big hunks had landed on him and the door. The apartment across the hall had suffered a similar fate. 

Manuelo turned back to the window. The street was filled with long, black vans. Men wearing black vests forced his neighbors into the back of those vans. He forced the window open and eased onto the fire escape. 

"Is that all of them?" A red-haired teenager asked one of the goons. The store clerk in Manuelo screamed _troublemaker_ to describe the boy, but he was too busy making his way down the fire escape without attracting attention to heed it. 

He knew the other man, or rather, who the other man worked for. He was one of Limburger's goons. The Biker Mice had pointed them out in case they ever gave him trouble. _Well, now this is trouble._ Manuelo eased down onto the last balcony. 

"Yeah, that's all of them. What do the Bosses want with 'em?" 

The boy's laughter made Manuelo's skin prickle with goose pimples. "You really don't want to know. Let's go!" The boy and goon climbed into the front cab of the van. 

Manuelo summoned up all his courage. They needed him: his wife, his son, his sister, and her daughters. With the sound of the vans' engines covering his noise, he rode the clanging ladder down and leaped to the top of the nearest van. Immediately, he regretted the decision. It hurt! He clung to the rails of the van, stretched flat on the roof, and concentrated on breathing as the van moved faster down the street.   
  



	14. Chapter 13: Mona's Night

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Thirteen  
Mona's Night**

Mona's tail twitched. This is what she lived for. Her green hand tightened around the microphone. Mutated or not, rehearsal or not; she had always found herself in the music. And while her songwriting abilities needed a lot more work, her voice could handle just about anything thrown at her. 

The band behind her started playing. 

_**I know there's something in the wake of your smile.  
I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yea.  
You've built a love but that love falls apart.  
Your little piece of heaven turns too dark.**_   
  


_Boy, do I miss New York,_ she thought as she sang. _Be honest, girl. It's not the city; it's that green hunk that actually looks at you like a girl and not a freak. I only hope he's not too miffed about me leaving with Allie._ Raph wasn't too rational when it came to Allie. She had never seen two people so good at pushing each other's buttons and still hadn't had a slugfest. Reading between the lines of his postcards and letters, she gathered he wasn't happy with the situation but was trying to deal with it. The odds were he would explode as soon as she was present to explode at. 

**_Listen to your heart when he's calling for you.  
Listen to your heart there's nothing else you can do.  
I don't know where you're going and I don't know why,  
but listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye._**   
  


She smiled a little wickedly. _Though making up with him is going to be a lot of fun._ She wasn't afraid of his temper. He just needed a good bop on the head, followed with a steammy kiss. 

**_Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile.  
The precious moments are all lost in the tide, yea.  
They're swept away and nothing is what is seems,  
the feeling of belonging to your dreams._**   
  


_The fight to find a guy who likes me in spite of what I am now? Worth everything in the world, baby._ He barreled into her one night and the first thing he had wanted was a date. How often did that happen? 

**_Listen to your heart when he's calling for you.  
Listen to your heart there's nothing else you can do.  
I don't know where you're going and I don't know why,  
but listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye._**   
  


**_And there are voices that want to be heard.  
So much to mention but you can't find the words.  
The scent of magic, the beauty that's been  
when love was wilder than the wind._**   
  


Her smile grew wider. _Raphael is so passionate. You can tell just how he reacts to things. I just have to show him a different expression other than furious._

**_Listen to your heart when he's calling for you.  
Listen to your heart there's nothing else you can do.  
I don't know where you're going and I don't know why,  
but listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye._**   
  


Chord ended the song and laughed as he adjusted his guitar's amp. "Man, Mona, you still have it." 

"Yeah. I should go for a gimmicky career. Never seen without my make-up." She twirled, her brown hair flew around her broad green face, and her thick tail wrapped around her muscular legs. She stopped with a laugh and ran her hands down her sides, feeling the curves of the taunt muscles underneath. 

The drummer twirled his sticks. "Mona Lisa, the lizard girl. Can we be your band?" 

She smirked at him. "Sure Vibes, but you're actually gonna need make-up." 

The others laughed at the norm-looking Mutate's chagrin. Chord was covered in a thick, black pelt of fur. Spike, the keyboardist, had porcupine quills for hair. Vibes had brown hair and a scruffy goatee growing on his chin. He shrugged, "I'll have to get a mask." 

Another Mutate ran into the basement practice room. "Trouble with Limburger's goons!" she cried in a breathless rush. 

"Wait a few minutes, Ace, and those bikers'll take care of it," Chord yawned. 

"They're kidnapping people like Val Tech!" 

Mona felt her stomach drop. Val Tech rarely took large numbers of people hostage. They preferred finding people no one would care about and experiment on them. Occasionally, aggressive Mutates forced them to create a norm shield to hide behind. No Mutate could blow up a lab with that many lives at stake. Mona didn't want to think what the Leader's reaction from Forsaken would be if it did happen. 

Since it was so noticeable, Val Tech rarely used it and it wouldn't occur to anyone else to do it. _Limburger? Limburger? That was the name on all those demolition sites! Okay, now I'm really confused._

Chord led the way off the stage and the others quickly filed in behind him, including Mona. Ace drove her car and they followed in Chord's station wagon. They parked a block away and crept into a small park just in time to see seven black vans pull into a tan and blue skyscraper's underground parking garage. Vans that were large enough to a hold a dozen people. Mona clenched her teeth as she thought. _At most, say about ten prisoners per van. Got leave room for the guards. Oh God, that's seventy people! What the hell is this guy up to?_

"That tears it," Chord snarled. "That guy has already been the worst trouble for years now. If he's taking on Val Tech tactics to get land...." 

"Get land?" Mona stared hard at the building from their hiding place. 

"Limburger is some kind of developer. Only he never develops anything. The buildings get torn down and the land dug up and then that's it," Vibes explained. "Nothing is ever built." 

"What about the bikers?" Spike asked. 

"They ain't here. Besides nobody knows anything about them. Except that they hate that guy." Chord pointed to the skyscraper. "He's already made trouble for us by reducing the places we can hide a cell. We gotta clear out." 

Mona turned to him. "We can't leave those people in there! He took them by force; that's still against the law." 

"I know it sucks, Mona Lisa babe, but that's the way it is. I've got three kids me and my girl are raising and training. I'm the only father they know. I can't risk their lives or anyone else's in the cell." 

Mona's heart sank. She was a singer but ever since she was mutated into a humanoid salamander, she had to become a fighter too. But she couldn't do this alone. It was just too big. _You idiot, you're not alone. You've been spending the past three months with a Mutate legend. Allie's handled worse than this._ She felt stronger already. "Get your cell out. I know just who can take down that creep." 

* * *

The van finally slowed to a stop. Now was Manuelo's chance. He pushed his body down to the end of the van and swung his legs over. He dangled, trying to see how far down the ground was and how much it would hurt. Before he let go of the railing, the van started forward again. His body banged against the doors. That jarred the breath from his body. The blackness gathered around the edges of his vision. His right hand slipped off the rail and his body slammed against the doors again. The van lurched to the left. The fingers of his left hand uncurled. He fell back, unable to make his hand grab. 

Something pointy and scratchy and green grabbed him. A bush finally deposited him on the grass. Manuelo lifted his head. The blurry colors finally merged together. A tan skyscraper with blue windows lit with strong spotlights. "Limburger Tower.... Ma familia.... I need mes amigos." Blackness swallowed the Tower. 

* * *

Pete glanced up wearily from wiping glasses. The Mutate wasn't even disguised, just thrusting her shapely green body into his bar. Her face turned bewilderedly. "She's not here!" 

"Who you lookin' for?" He dropped the dishcloth on the counter. 

"Allie Baker." 

"She's been gone for hours." 

Before she had just looked rushed, now she looked panicked. "Hours?" 

"She took off after a Vex. I already put the warnings out. She left with some locals. Good guys but don't know anything about Mutates. Though I guess they're getting a quick lesson now." Pete frowned, remembering the father and son's anguish. 

"She's never around when you need her," the Mutate said plaintively. "Got a phone?" 

"Around there, by the restrooms." 

She made her call quickly. "Damn and double damn. Is it possible Allie's still with them?" She nervously flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder. 

"They probably went back to the garage, if they finished wailing on the Vex. The Last Chance Garage," he carefully gave her directions. "Don't make me regret trusting you. Charlene is very special to me." 

"I'm not the endangering type, man," she answered with a teeth-flashing grin and left the bar. 

Pete gazed around his empty bar after she left. The weirdness was on tonight. First meeting Charlene's mysterious friends, then Allie Cat rolling into town, Vexes kidnapping; trouble was stirring for Chi-town tonight. He could feel it calling, waiting for him to go out and taste it. "Ah no, that's a young man's game. And there's enough young blood in this city to set things right." He started stacking the clean glasses back on the shelves. 

* * *

Chord sighed. Mona was still a whirlwind, once she decided on a course of action. Ace got roped into taking her to Pete's. _Good luck, Mona Lisa. You're gonna need it._ "Let's go; we've got people to move." 

Vibes clenched his fist. "I liked this city! Those weird bikers kept that jerk in check." The drummer gestured at the building. 

"We all liked Chi-town," Spike said, "but we have to think of the kids." 

"Let me give him the shakedown! I can turn that building into rubble. Come on, Chord!" Vibes gripped his sleeve. "Those bikers destroy his building all the time!" 

"Yeah and nobody gets hurt. There's too many norms in there to turn you loose." 

Vibes growled and let go. He turned and marched through the park. Chord sighed again. He doubted anyone else would take the news much better. He knew his girlfriend wouldn't. 

They followed Vibes' lead back to the street. Passing a bush, the normal looking Mutate tripped and fell flat on his face. Spike snorted, holding back his laugh. "What happened?" 

"Oh go ahead and laugh," Vibes snapped as he climbed to his feet and looked down. "Oh man, was he mugged?" 

Chord knelt and gently turned the small man over. He was dressed in slacks and a white T-shirt and was covered in a white dust. A red open sore had been cut across his nose. Bloody scrapes covered his coffee-colored skin. "Never seen a mugging like this." 

"I think he's trying to say something," Vibes said. 

He leaned a fur-covered ear closer to the man's face. "Ma familia.... Limburger... ma familia," was all he could make out. 

Spike's porcupine quills bristled. "We can't leave him here." 

"We'll take him to Pete," Chord announced. "He'll be able to handle a hospital or the police better than we can. Pick him up, gently." 

* * *

Mona threw her hands on her hips and glared at the fourth door she had banged on. No one was inside the Last Chance Garage or if they were, they were deaf. She sighed. _They must still be fighting. Well I ain't waiting outside for them._

She left the back door and headed quickly around the building to the broken upper story window. With a sigh, she shimmied up the drainpipe to the roof of the building. She then quickly grabbed the edge of the roof and swung in the window. She hit the floor and tumbled until she hit the wall. Her tail spasmed in pain as she stared up at her feet against the wall and the ceiling high above them. "I really need to learn how to pick a lock." 

Groaning, she picked herself up, popped her tail and her back, and left the bedroom she had tumbled into. She stumbled to the location of the stairs after running into all the other furniture in the outside room--a couch, table and chair set, the corner of a jutting wall. Luckily, the light switch for the kitchen was located on the wall at the bottom of the stairs. 

"Talk about a bare room," Mona remarked to herself. Other than the walls painted a crisp light yellow and a valance of white lace strung over the small window above the sink, the owner had made no attempts to decorate. The plain beige cupboards and counter matched the plain beige stove and refrigerator. 

Mona sighed and opened the swinging door that she guessed led to the garage part of the building. She discovered that she was right as her jaw fell open. There was only one group she knew with that yellow and green van. And they sure the hell weren't supposed to be in Chicago. 

_She went off with the Turtles and didn't come get me! I want to see Raph as much as she wants to see Mike!_ She took a deep breath, no Allie wouldn't do that. The van was badly beat up, maybe they were here for the garage. But that still didn't explain why they were in Chicago. 

She yawned, turned off the light in the kitchen, and climbed into the front seat bench. "Well, they have to come back for it."   
  



	15. Chapter 14: No Name Calling

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Fourteen  
No Name Calling**

Raphael sighed as he sat in the window and looked at the now sun-drenched street. He turned his head slightly and glared at the tan and blue skyscraper. _I should've paid more attention. And now Donnie and Zack are paying for my stupidity._

He hugged himself. And how he reacted to Allie; damn why did she bring out the angriest in him? Mona said he would find more in common with Allie if he gave her a chance. He sorta promised that he would try. 

_But why should that promise mean anything when Mona was just using me?_ His chest tightened as his heart beat harder. She was smart, funny, pretty, and didn't want him. He knew it was too good to be true. You can't trust anybody. 

_Well, no one but family. And April and Casey and Dan and Keno and Allie and Zack. And she understood me. Why couldn't it've been real?_ Raph sighed. None of this was helping Donnie or Zack. He got up. He really needed to pound on somebody, anybody. He went searching for Leo. 

* * *

Charley stirred and rolled a little more to the side. Throttle murmured without words and nuzzled her. She opened her eyes and gasped. Leo jumped back. "Where did you come from?" 

"Sorry, wasn't trying to wake you up. But you're the mechanic that owns the Last Chance Garage?" 

"Yeah, why?" 

Throttle yawned and blinked at Leo. 

The Turtle wearing the blue bandanna mask shrugged. "Our van is in lousy shape and we might need it." 

"Alright, all right," she sighed and sat up slowly, careful not to hurt the tan-furred mouse under her. 

"You must be a morning person." His gloved hand groped for his field specs, just out of reach of his questing fingers. She grabbed them off the shelf behind the couch and put them on his face. 

"If your brother was in there being used as a lab rat, think you could sleep?" Raphael's intense voice joined them. He stood at the table and used his strange-shaped daggers to impale a slice of pizza. 

"Touché," Throttle sat up and started pulling on his boots. 

"If you're going out, can you guys bring back breakfast?" Vinnie asked sleepily. 

Charley balled up the blanket and chunked it at the white-furred mouse's head. It loosened and wrapped around his head. 

Throttle chuckled and grabbed her hand as Vinnie scrambled to pull the blanket off. They headed down to the garage. He settled on his bike and pulled Charley on behind him. "Don't have room for both of ya." 

Leo waved it aside. "We remembered the way." 

Charley turned, concerned. At least, the guys covered up their heads with their helmets. "But if someone sees you?" 

"We are ninja." 

"Yeah, but...." The garage was empty. "Whoa." 

Throttle pulled her helmet off her bike with his tail and passed it to her. "S'hidean nul," he said with a touch of respect in his voice. Her "what?" started him back to the here and now. "It means _warriors of the desert_. They said that they could fight without even disturbing the sand." 

"Well you guys would never qualify." Charley grinned as she wrapped her arms around his waist. 

"Ancient history, Charley-girl. Those warriors haven't existed since the mice left the caves for the cities." He wrapped his tail around her waist as they roared down the street. "Sorry, didn't mean to bore you with a history lesson." 

"You guys never bore me talking about Mars. You can tell me more." 

"Really? Okay, I'll tell you more about Mars and you can explain disco." 

* * *

Manuelo's head hurt worse than the day after he introduced the Biker Mice to Cinco de mayo. He slowly cracked open his eyes. The sunlight brightening the room had the same quality of sunlight blocked by white blinds. His eyes and head wanted to return to the soothing darkness. What time was it? How long had he been out? And where was he? He turned his head slightly to view the room better. Once the stabbing pain subsided, he saw shelves filled with bottles and boxes lined one long wall. Across the narrow room from the shelves, chairs and pieces of tables were stacked neatly. The door was at the other end of the room from where he was laying. The window was set in the narrow space between the top of the shelves and the ceiling. He was lying on a cot and was covered with a blanket. He decided to try moving. 

He swung his feet to the floor and sat up. The long room swayed. He let out an involuntary groan as the throbbing in his head shifted. He clutched the metal frame of the cot to stop the room. Moving wasn't such a good idea. 

"Awake already?" A black-haired gringo with a bushy, black beard walked in through the open door. "Take it easy, man. You got banged up pretty good." His large hands grabbed Manuelo's thin shoulders and steadied him. 

He concentrated on those muscular hands, trying to find a coherent thought. They were tough, callused hands with white patches of scar tissue across the knuckles and clipped-short nails; working hands not unlike him own. "Where am I?" He asked slowly. _Please, not the Pits. Serafina couldn't stand it again._

The man decided Manuelo was going to stay upright and let go of his shoulders. "My bar, Pete's Chi-town Tavern. Some friends of mine found you and brought you here. I decided to let you wake up before taking you to a hospital. Do you remember what happened to you?" 

Manuelo closed his eyes. The door flew into his face. _The wall fell._ He felt his hands slip of the roof's railing. _I fell from the black van. My family is in the van. Limburger Tower._ "Sí, I remember. Ma familia is in trouble." 

Pete's frown was mostly hidden by his beard. "Let's deal with you first. Do you wanna go to a hospital?" 

"No time for a hospital. Ma familia needs me." Manuelo took a deep breath. The pain in his head faded the longer he kept it up. The room had stopped moving. He could see the back of the bar counter with all its open shelves outside the door. _Limburger Tower. I need help, mouse help._ "Do you know where the Last Chance Garage is?" 

"The Last Chance? Sure, it's just a few blocks away. Why is Charlene suddenly so popular? Is she involved in what's going on?" 

Manuelo blinked his brown eyes. "I don't think so. She knows where to find mes amigos." 

Pete still frowned, but banging on a door snagged his attention. He sighed. "Let me go deal with that." He left the room. 

There wasn't time to go to a hospital, besides he wasn't hurt that bad. Manuelo tried to think things through. He couldn't spend time with this well-meaning man when there was no telling what that desperado Limburger was doing to his family. He lurched to his feet and stumbled to the door. His head didn't throb. As long as it didn't throb, he could walk. He had to find the Biker Mice. 

He concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. That got him out from behind the bar counter. Pete was nowhere in sight, but the front door was. He took wobbly steps. They carried him out of the building. He blinked at the street outside. Yes, he knew where he was now. He stumbled down the street. 

* * *

She had him. Her claws dug into the muscles of his arms. He couldn't break free. She pulled him off his feet and shrieked in his face, baring her gleaming fangs. His head throbbed. He tried to kick her but something was tangled with his legs and immobilized them. He tried to scream but all that would come out was a whimper, "Dad." 

The gentle touch of a cold metal hand melted away her digging talons. "S'alright, Sparks. Just a bad dream. I'm here." 

Sparks burrowed against Modo's warm furry chest as his father's strong arms wrapped around him. "She had me again." 

"She won't get you again," Modo rumbled as he petted Sparks's hair and hugged him a little tighter. "I won't let her get you again." 

Sparks clutched the larger mouse. "I hate being little," he said fiercely. 

"You won't be little forever." 

* * *

Throttle and Charley roared up to her dingy, brick, two-story garage. "We must have beat them here," she observed gazing around the deserted street. 

"Just barely," Leo said quietly behind her. She shrieked slightly as she jumped and twisted around to see them. Leo stepped back and rubbed the side of his head. "Why do women always do that when we show up?" 

Throttle chuckled. "She has that reaction to us a lot too." 

"Fine, keep it up. And see how long it takes me to fix your van." She climbed off the back of the bike and unlocked the garage door. 

Throttle pushed his bike inside and parked it as close to the wall as he could. The van, the car, and one of Limburger's dune buggies were all parked inside. "You want some coffee, babe?" 

"Yeah, only don't blow up the coffeemaker again." 

"Aw that was Vinnie." He went through the swinging door as she started her slow walk around the yellow and green van. 

The front was smashed and the buckled hood propped up. She peered inside the engine and sighed. The radiator was ruptured, the engine block cracked and had flattened everything else behind it. Not to mention the pistons, spark plugs, turbine, belts, hoses, and everything else under the hood. The front wheels were definitely out of whack with each other and the axle was probably broken or bent. Toward the middle, the frame was bent and that sent a ripple effect into the body above it. The sliding door would have to be replaced. She sighed and prayed for the coffee to drip faster. "What happened?" 

"I drove it into a hole." Raph's clipped tone answered. 

"You didn't even try to avoid it?" 

"Yeah, I tried!" 

"Blowing the hole right in front of you makes it hard to maneuver," Leo interjected. 

"I should've seen it," Raph growled. 

His bad attitude was starting to fall into place now. _He's blaming himself and lashing out at us because we're here and because we're letting him. Well, one isn't a true wrenchjockey in this town until you've learned how to handle the badass bikers. And I am the best wrenchjockey in Chi-town._

She slammed her hands on her hips and stared down at him. "Look Mr. Chip-in-his-shell! I'm sorry that you were behind the wheel and you think you should've been able to do something. And I'm sorry that your brother was captured. But we're on your side and you better remember that and shut your mouth before yelling at us!" She heard the kitchen door swing open and shut and felt Throttle waiting to jump to her defense. But she didn't take her snapping green eyes away from Raph's hazel ones. 

Raph glared up at her. "Can you help us?" His tone was still arrogant. 

"Those guys jumped Olympus Mons on bikes I souped up." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder to Throttle. "I'm the only one in this city that can get that hunk of junk driveable and turn it into an urban assault vehicle in the time we have." 

A smile suddenly broke out on his face. "Then let's see you work, lady." 

"Okay then." Charley turned and opened the driver's side door of the van. And the green form sprawled on the front seat twitched and stretched. And another eek! escaped from her mouth. 

The three males jumped to her side as the lithe green female sat up. "Yeah, I'm sure you're not a sight when you first wake up," she muttered as she rubbed her eyes and blinked at them. 

"Mona?" Leo asked in shock. 

The girl put down her hands and showed her broad green face--similar to the Turtles'--and warm brown eyes underneath her brown bangs. "What? You were expecting Madonna? Man, I was expecting you guys hours ago. Hi Raph." 

The red-masked Turtle's face was stony again. "We don't need you here." He turned and walked into the garage's office. 

The shy smile on Mona's face disappeared. "Well, I didn't expect him to gush." Her tone was flippant to hide her pain. Charley could still see it though. 

"He's been in a mood since we left New York," Leo explained. 

"Hey mechanic-lady, you got a message on your answering machine," Raph called out. 

"Probably the Taurus owner. That guy has been bugging me since he left the car." She headed into the office. Raph was glaring out the door's window. "The name is Charley Davidson." 

"Charley, right." He didn't turn around. 

The answering machine sat on the corner of her desk. She sighed and hit play. The oily voice sent a wave of repulsion through her. "Throttle!" 

He rushed into the office with Leo and Mona on his heels. "What?" 

She hit rewind and adjusted the volume. 

"Oh how fortuitous. You're not at home," Limburger voice oozed through the speaker. "I haven't given you the opportunity to hang up on me. But this call isn't for you, Ms. Davidson, or those vilely valiant voles. It's for your new friend, the human girl in black, the ninja. I wish to have an interview with her. I am prepared to meet her at the time and place of her choosing. And before you dismiss this as a ploy for a cheap and cowardly attack, I would like to offer you a compelling reason to consider. The children escaped, but the human is feeling quite poorly by now. And your medical facilities are unable to cope with it." He chuckled, "Earth facilities are incapable of helping him. It would be such a shame for him to die when a simple talk with me could insure his survival. I'll be waiting to hear from you." 

Charley hit save on the answering machine automatically and turned to Throttle. He was leaning against the wall with his right foot flat against the wall. He shook his head. "What is that damned fat fish up to?" 

Leo frowned. "We can't tell Allie." 

"Why not!" Raph pivoted around. "Zack's life is on the line!" 

"He doesn't have an antidote," Throttle explained. "Limburger's just up to an old Plutarkian double-cross. Though I don't know what he thinks he can do with Allie." 

"Plutarkian? What's a Plutarkian? He's the guy kidnapping people." Mona's confused face turned to everyone in the group. 

"Come on, Raph. She would go and it's a trap and boom the Hamato clan is dead. Exactly what we're not supposed to let happen," Leo said patiently. 

Raph muttered something unintelligible under his breath and crossed his arms over his chest. 

"Okay, I am so confused. Who needs an antidote? And who the heck are you?" Mona asked the least while pointing to Charley and Throttle. 

"What happened was you never told us anything about you or Mutates or Val Tech and now Zack is dying!" Raph growled. He jerked open the door to the street and stormed out. 

Throttle moved to go after him. Leo stopped him. "He needs to blow off some steam. He'll be alright." 

Mona still stared bewilderedly. "What's wrong with Zack?" 

"Val Tech tagged him in New York and thought he was Allie. Snake-eyes advised us to leave New York and Di suggested Chicago. Only we were attacked when we got here last night, and Zack, Donnie, and Di were captured. They rescued Zack, but he had already been injected with the mutagen." Leo stopped as he saw Mona's expression. 

The lizard girl stumbled back and found a bench to sit on in the garage. "He only got one shot? Oh god, Leo. We all thought you were Mutates that didn't want anything to do with Val Tech. Then I met you guys and you guys dragged me to see Allie. She told me what you were and asked me not to get the Mutates involved in fighting the Shredder. And I wasn't supposed to tell Mutates stuff to outsiders. So I just told Snake-eyes what little bit I had to and kept my mouth shut about me. And then everything happened and it seemed more important to keep Allie from going off and committing ritual suicide or something. And we've always been good about keeping Val Tech out of New York. I figured we had time to explain the Mutates stuff before Val Tech found out you guys were worth hunting." 

"It's not your fault, Mona." Leo said when she paused for breath. "We were patrolling and Raph and Zack got hit by trackers. That's how they found out we weren't Mutates. That's why they want us." 

She nodded miserably. "Allie said you were risking your shells enough with the Shredder. She didn't want Val Tech hunting you too." 

"Well, they're after the Martians too." 

Her questioning expression turned from Leo to Charley to Throttle. "Yes, Martians from Mars. I'm Throttle and this is Charley. Who isn't a Martian." 

"I guessed that." She still looked confused but her brown eyes turned from Throttle and Charley and focused on the floor. 

_All this on top of the guy she must like yelling at her and storming off. And I have a feeling what she has to tell us isn't any better._ "You said something about Limburger kidnapping people?" Charley asked gently. 

Mona's head jerked up. "Yeah. He brought in about seventy people, grabbed 'em just like Val Tech." 

"The Plutarkians and Val Tech have teamed up," Leo said. 

"Limburger is an alien here to strip mine the planet," Charley explained. "They already wrecked Mars." 

"What will they do with all those people?" Throttle asked. 

"If Val Tech is there, they'll keep them prisoners to prevent us from attacking and eventually mutate them." Mona sighed, "And none of the cells in Chicago are fighters. The ones that are left. Most of them are fleeing. I figured Allie could get them out, but if Zack is...." Her voice trailed off. 

"We've got enough fighters." Leo started counting off, "us, the Martians, the Black Bones." 

Mona looked more hopeful. "Then we might have a chance to save them?" 

"Yeah and hopefully Donnie and Di can save Zack." 

Charley grabbed up a socket wrench and spun the socket as she walked to the van's open hood. "Then we better get busy. You guys just became the pit crew for this van." She relished their shocked expressions before bending into the engine and barking out orders. 

* * *

Vinnie pulled the blanket off his head and the recliner jerked upright. He sighed and bounded over to the table of leftovers. Avoiding the dreaded cheese on the pizzas, he grabbed five of the white boxes. Tala's kitchen area had a microwave. Charley never let them touch her microwave. But it didn't look that hard. 

_Food in._ He set the white boxes inside. _Shut door, five minutes, and start. And Charley-girl makes cooking sound like such a chore._

Strange popping sounds came from inside. Orange flames blossomed on the white boxes. "Whoa! You're supposed to zap the food not flame-broil it!" 

Someone ran up behind him and jerked him out of the way. Tala blasted the inside of the microwave with a fire extinguisher. "Damnit Vinnie!" 

"I was just trying to eat! Wanna hit me for that too?" 

She sighed as she pulled out a sodden white box. "You can't put metal in microwaves." She showed him the blackened metal handle before chunking the mess into the garbage can. 

Vinnie shuffled his feet. "I didn't know. Just like I didn't know you were gonna pop me in the face last night." 

"I'm sorry about that." Her eyes remained focused on the mess. 

"You said you didn't like sleeping on your ship," he said petulantly. 

"I don't." 

"Then why did you hit me?" He knew why, he just need to hear her say something. 

"I didn't know where I was. I'm sorry." She still didn't look at him. 

"You don't sound very sorry." 

Tala whirled at that. She grabbed the bandanna tied around his neck and jerked him to her. Electric jolts from her lips on his sent spasms into his brain. She finally let him go. "Does that convince you? Clean up this mess and put the food you want to eat on a plate. I'm going to check on Zack." 

The elevator was already going up by the time he recovered enough to stammer, "Yeah." 

* * *

Allie awoke with a quick startled motion. She sat up and recognized the metal room with a sinking heart. She reached her feet and looked down in the bed at Zack. The ridges underneath his eyebrows were larger and his fingers were growing sharp talons. 

Mike stepped up to her. "Here, breakfast." 

"Not hungry." 

"The Ronin needs food," he said softly. 

He knew what buttons to push. She took the cold slices of pizza from him and sat down in the chair. She mechanically ate the food that only her stomach seemed grateful to get. 

Mike swallowed hard as he watched her with concern. "Should I go find Leo and see what's going on or do you want me to stay?" 

Her feelings always came first for him. Probably 'cause she always put them last. "I want you to stay. But we need to know what's going on. I'll be okay." 

"You sure?" 

"Just don't leave me out of any shell kicking." 

He grinned, "I never do," and left her alone in the room. 

She stared at Zack, unable to look anywhere else. She remembered his first steps. She had been the one to hold his tiny hands and guided him around the room. Their parents were dead and Billy had been taken away. She had been the one he depended on not to let him stumble and fall. And she had failed. Her vision swam. 

"Are you okay?" Allie looked up and blinked her eyes rapidly in order to see. The tall woman with short, dark blonde hair that Vinnie had latched onto during the fight stood in the doorway. She was obviously uncomfortable with Allie's presence. Or maybe it was just the tears. 

"I'm coping." Allie took a deep breath to control her shaky voice. "You the medic?" 

"More or less. I have the equipment and MC has the medical sub-program. But battlefield bandaging doesn't help with this." 

"No joke. Am I in the way?" 

"I need to get to the terminal. Time to run a diagnostic." Allie got out of the chair and moved back to the other side of the bed. 

An electronic-synthesized voice spoke through the speaker. "The changes have slowed but still progressing. A dosage of ibicoian was given at five a.m. local time. The mutation rate and pain reactions have slowed since, Mistress Tala." 

Tala stared at the computer screen. "I'm learning more about genetics than I ever expected to. Don't give him another dose. Remember my reaction?" 

"Yes, Mistress Tala. But it is the strongest pain reliever available. And your usual dosage was halved for this patient." 

"I understand." 

"I don't," Allie took a deep breath. "Have you given my brother something dangerous?" 

"It's not found on Earth. And MC was in the habit of doubling dosages for anything to have an effect on me. Nearly had a heart attack the first time we used ibicoian. But the dosage in your brother is well below that and it's working fine." 

She looked at Tala dubiously. Then at Zack. "He does look like he sleeping." 

"All we can do at this point is monitor him and keep him comfortable." 

"We really appreciate it. Thank you." 

Tala shrugged it off. "One good turn deserves another, I suppose. Sparks keeps saying he saved him." She stood up. "Time to make the rounds and see how intact my building is." 

Allie watched Zack as Tala left the room. He slept quietly, undisturbed by anything in the room. 

* * *

Throttle gratefully drained the root beer can. He didn't remember ever stripping a vehicle as fast as Charley had them strip the yellow and green van. The parts littered the garage bay. They had kept the garage bay closest to the office free for parking, though most of that space was already taken. The lizard-girl sat on the bench next to him. The Turtle in the blue-mask leaned against the wall. 

Mona continued to flex and shake her hand. "Did we piss off your girlfriend?" 

The tan-furred mouse glanced at the storage space where Charley hid the weapon components. She had disappeared into it, looking for something. "Nah, this is how she gets with a deadline. But she ain't gonna make this one. Your van is just too messed up." 

Leo frowned. "Can it be fixed? We sorta need it." 

"Charley can fix anything," Throttle declared. 

"And you guys have given her plenty of practice," Mona replied with a smirk. 

"How'dja know?" 

"It's a girl thing." 

Throttle crushed the can in his hand. "As I was saying, she can fix it, but not before we get those people away from Limburger and company." 

"He's your enemy; what are his weaknesses?" 

"You gotta couple of free years?" 

Leo chuckled. "That bad, huh? Getting Donnie and Di will be easy at least." 

"Yeah? Take a look." Throttle waved his hand at Charley's binoculars on the windowsill. The Turtle picked them up and focused out the window. 

"Well, do either of you two have any bright ideas what to do about the norms?" Mona combed her bangs straight back with the rest of her hair. The bangs refused to stay. 

"The what?" 

"Norms, normals, non-mutated humans, the prisoners." 

"He's gotta army around that building!" Leo's voice rose slightly as he adjusted the binoculars. "Nobody thinks that's weird?" 

"No, they don't." Throttle sighed and turned back to Mona. "I really don't know. We can't use our usual tactics with that many people. Maybe we can use Tala's transporter." 

She gave up trying to fix her hair. "Transporter? Beam me up, Scotty?" 

"Yeah, the Plutarkians got the technology from somebody and spread it around the galaxy. Only problem is Tala likes getting paid for doing hero work." 

"You can get paid?" 

"Are those laser guns? Gees, over fifty of those on that wall! And cannons on the roof? The Shredder was never this obvious." 

"Limburger's never heard of _overkill_." Throttle told him. 

"Apparently." Leo turned from the window, setting the binoculars back. "Never had the chance to sneak into a place as heavily guarded as that building is." 

"I'd be more worried about the getting out part," Mona said. 

Charley crawled out of the storage space on her hands and knees. She stood up and kicked the small door shut. "Where are the laser cells? Laser energy cells?" Throttle continued to look at her blankly with a small shrug from his shoulders. She blew her bangs away from her eyes. "The ones from the Stench Carrier?" 

"Oh those. They're at our pad. Too big for the garage." 

She sighed. "Well, that idea will have to wait." She stared at the van. 

Mona sat up straighter. "Does this mean the break lasts longer?" She wilted slightly under Charley's dirty look. "Gees, I guess they've given you a lot of practice with those too." 

Leo sighed as he turned back to the window. "And they said things would be worse if we stayed in New York." He stiffened, turned back, and pulled Mona off the bench. "A human is coming," he said quickly before she could protest. 

Throttle grabbed the car creeper and slid beneath the van. Hopefully, the Turtle was as good at hiding as he was sneaking up on people. They just had to hang tight until Charley got rid of whoever it was. He heard her jog to a yellow body panel from the van and drag it on top of two sawhorses. 

"Señorita Charley? I need... I need...." Throttle heard a body crumple on the concrete. 

"Manuelo?" Her boots pounded against the concrete. "THROTTLE!" 

He pulled himself out and ran around the van. Charley had Manuelo's head in her lap, trying to wake him back up. He knelt next to their friend, who was in worse shape now than he was in the Pits. A white-powder covered his clothes, but a Band-Aid had been placed across his nose. "What the hell happened to him? Manuelo? Amigo?" 

Charley looked behind him. "Get some water!" 

Mona grabbed a paper cup from the water cooler dispenser set outside the office door and filled it. She passed it to Charley. "Got a first aid kit?" 

Manuelo's brown eyes blinked open. "Throttle. Amigo." 

He clasped the coffee-colored hand with his gloved-hand. "Yeah, it's me. What happened?" That unleashed a torrent of Spanish from the small man. The field specs slid down his snout a little, but seeing a confused expression didn't make Manuelo switch back to English. 

Mona gasped. "He said his family was taken to Limburger Tower in black vans. The norms they took last night!" Her expression gained more annoyance glancing at Throttle and Charley's faces. "What? Just because I'm green means I can't be bilingual?" 

Throttle looked back down at Manuelo while Charley helped him sip the water. "All of them?" 

"Sí, all of them." Manuelo blinked back the upwelling of tears in his eyes. 

Throttle closed his eyes with a grimace. Manuelo's wife, Serafina, who reminded him so much of Modo's mother, holding their family together while Manuelo was gone. His sister, Nina, who helped Charley patch him and his bros up when they got hurt really bad. And the kids, he could still feel Isabel's arms around his neck and hear her giggles as he carried her piggyback in the race against Modo and Felipe and Vinnie and Manuela. Anyone who hurt their friends would pay. For Limburger's sake, nothing had better have happened to them yet. He felt his face harden and he pushed the field specs back in place before opening his eyes. "We'll get them back. Biker's honor." 

The first glimmer of hope appeared in Manuelo's bleak expression. "Gracias, Throttle, gracias." 

"There is no way we can get seventy people past that army," Leo said standing somewhere behind Throttle's back. 

"Then we'll just have to come up with a way." 

The phone started ringing before Leo could respond. "Answer that, please." Charley ran her fingers through Manuelo's curly, black hair looking for more injuries. 

Leo sighed, but the phone was picked up. "Last Chance Garage? Um, Charley's a little busy right now. How did you know? Okay, I'll tell her." He stepped out of the office. "That was a Pete, who said to tell you that he trusts you, but he wants to know the whole story after this mess is cleaned up, or he'll tell the strays all the embarrassing moments he remembers from your childhood." 

Charley's cheeks went red. "He would, too. Oh boy, this is gonna be fun." 

The phone rang again. "Last Chance Garage?" Leo was silent for a while. "Uh huh, okay. I think we're done here. We'll be there as soon as we can." He hung up. "That was Vinnie. Apparently, they're getting antsy back at Tala's." 

"Vinnie stays antsy," Throttle replied. "But we do have work to do. Manuelo, can you ride?" 

"Not a bike." 

"Get him to my tow truck," Charley ordered briskly. "I'll drive it back." 

Throttle nodded. "Let's roll. We got people waiting for a rescue." 

* * *

Raph stopped in the garage of Tala's building. His anger was fading but the pain of seeing her remained. _Damn, damn, damn. Why doesn't she trust me? Why didn't she trust me then? Maybe if we had known we could've protected Zack._

She was still trying to play him, still spying. _Damnit, why don't she just come clean? Then we can move on._ He sighed. _Move on to where? I don't want no psycho girlfriend._

Not that Allie and Lotus were psycho. It's just Lotus took the whole enlightenment quest as seriously as Leo. There was more to life than meditation. And Allie, she had to be cracked. First trying to be a ninja just because her grandfather and brother were ones and then trying to take their job. Though she did have more reason than anyone to kill Oroku Nagi. _But it tore her apart. She should've left it to us._ He headed up from the garage. Someone needed to check on Zack. 

She was still there, staring at her brother like a carved stone statue. _Don't she feel anything?_ "How is he?" 

Only her eyes moved, flicking to see him and flicking back to Zack. "They gave him some pain killer that is working. Other than that no change." 

_How can she be so calm about her own brother? He's dying instead of her!_ "Why didn't you tell us about all of this?" he demanded. 

"The same reason I don't tell anyone about you guys." The muscles on her throat clenched slightly. 

"You should've said something! Zack is dying because they were after you!" 

"I know that!" She swallowed hard, and continued staring at Zack. "But I'm supposed to break my word to potentially keep Zack safe?" 

Raph clenched his fists. "Hide behind honor, you coward! You ran away from your fight and didn't want us to know that you did. And you won't even talk to that Limburger guy about an antidote, too afraid of a trap!" She was staring at him with that same calm, infuriating expression. "We'll save your ass just like we always do!" 

He couldn't look at her anymore. He stormed away, feeling even worse about the situation. _She couldn'tve foreseen us getting attacked. Or maybe she just figured she'd be in New York. But that doesn't change the fact that she should've told us._ That rational voice inside his head wasn't making it better. 

"Where is a bad guy when you need one to pound?" Raph bellowed as he stormed out of the spaceship. 


	16. Chapter 15: Making Plans

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Fifteen  
Making Plans**

Ryan yawned widely. "Well, we've ended up in a swell mess. What do we do first?" He looked around at the Bones present in the living room of the unfinished apartment they spent the night in. 

"Pound Snake-eyes for not telling us about Zack," Trash muttered. "I even asked!" 

"Okay, first thing to do in Chicago." 

Eight quickly signed, *Charley Davidson knows Skulls. Doubt that has any importance but you never know.* 

Ryan remembered the first time he met the former leader and the founder of the Black Bones. He followed Allie and nothing she could say about the danger would stop him from going with her. She brought him to the parking lot of a bar where two men were waiting: the huge African-American on a maroon trike and a smaller Caucasian with a shaved head covered in tattoos of skulls. He chuckled after Allie explained and gave him a searching look. "If you've got half of Cat's guts, we might have something to work with." 

"Could it be knowledge by reputation?" Smarts asked. 

*Not the way she sounded.* 

"Helping Allie Cat comes first," Ryan got their attention again. "And we have an obligation to our passengers." 

Trash stood up with a frown and walked over to the window. "So who's going to ask her what the plan is?" 

_The lousy leader needs help once again. Oh, stop it man. You know Trash hates your guts._ "I doubt she's come up with a plan yet. I mean, damn, it's Zack." 

"Can't believe you didn't recognize him. I mean you're such an authority on all things Allie." 

"I haven't seen him since he was nine! What is your problem?" 

"Nothing," she said sullenly. "I'm just ready to hurt somebody." 

"Well, we've already charged in and got nowhere. The Martians know the lay of the land, we should talk to them." 

She turned from the window with a smirk. "I'll volunteer for that diplomatic mission." 

Ryan scowled. _Don't even bother. You'll never understand her taste in men. Besides, Allie is more important._ "Work on getting into his pants later, like after we rescue Di and Donnie. Not that I expect you to take that seriously." 

"Hey, you know my motto: Eat, drink, fu...." 

"For tomorrow, we may be in the lab," Smarts interrupted. "We've all heard it before." 

Ryan stood up. "I'm going to find the Martians and check on Allie. Whatever we come up with should be started tonight." 

"It looked like Mike had her under control when we saw them last." 

Trash's sarcasm grated on his last nerve. "So that's an excuse not to show we care about our friend?" 

"No, by all means, don't let me tell you what to do. Everyone knows I have the worst conscience of the group." Her tone was so innocent. Ryan glared at her suspiciously before leaving the second floor apartment. 

He headed back up a floor to the loft apartment. Most likely spot for the rest of this strange group to gather. Man, he thought he had seen everything with the Black Bones but _Martians_. And there was one of them now, staring at the microwave like his life depended on it. What was his name? Vinnie. Definitely not the leader; that had been the tan one wearing the shades and black leather vest. "Where is everybody?" 

"Yeah, what he said." Mike dove off the catwalk, flipped in the air, and landed beside the table still piled high with last night's leftovers. He grabbed the remaining slices of a pizza and spun kicked the empty box into a garbage can in the kitchen area. "One fearless leader accounted for, where are the other two?" 

Vinnie looked like he was still trying to figure out how the pizza box ended up in the garbage can when the microwave beeped. He took out his plate of Chinese take-out. "Throttle and Charley took your bros to the garage. Something about fixing a van." 

"Sounds like Leo," Mike said around the mouthful of pizza. "Use the downtime to get ready for the fight. Good thing the van got smashed." 

Ryan blinked. "That's a good thing?" 

"Yeah, otherwise he'd be makin' us practice. I like havin' more sleep before one of Leo's practices." 

Vinnie slurped down a lo mien noodle. "Zack had a bad night or Allie?" 

The Turtle yawned. "Neither, I just stayed up just in case. And I don't think there's a clock set to the right time onboard that ship." 

"Galactic standard time. Completely different from Earth time." 

Ryan studied Mike as he pulled up a chair at the table next to Vinnie. Allie had clung to him, Allie who never depended on anyone but herself. The Allie he always pictured with a guy as dedicated, as smart, and as scary as she is. And instead she was with a non-human that managed to make everyone laugh. _What is the attraction? I mean, him to Allie is obvious but how can she love him back?_ "How long have you been together, you and Allie?" 

"Since Billy died." Mike answered the blurted question easily enough. "Her older brother, the guy who had the bad luck of being the cop investigating the Hi-Tech Robberies and a descendent of Hamato Yoshi when Oroku Nagi rolled into town. She turned to a friend who turned to us and it was love at first fight." 

"Nothing like having someone tryin to kill ya to spark true love." Vinnie sat up straighter with a gleam in his eyes. "Now that gives me an idea." 

"Dude, trust me. Send her flowers. Assassins make it really hard to sneak off for private time." 

The idea of Allie off alone with any guy was making Ryan uneasy. She had never been interested in bed hopping when she was with the Bones or with him. "You've been together that long?" 

"Must be love." 

Mike gazed curiously at the white-furred mouse. "What makes you say that?" 

"Because she didn't even look twice at me." 

Mike grinned. "It's unbreakable, my mouse. Besides, your eyes are target-locked somewhere else." 

Vinnie reddened under his fur. "How would you know?" he demanded. 

"Easy to spot in a firefight once you know what to look for." 

"What is?" A young voice asked eagerly. It belonged to the small mouse that had blocked Raph's path in the spaceship last night. He and Modo walked across the room from the stairwell. 

"Relationships," Mike answered in a bored tone. "Like Throttle and your dad are close because he's the first one he went to help." 

The kid looked annoyed. "Yeah, I bet you were talkin' 'bout Dad and Throttle." 

"And smart too. You must be so proud," the Turtle aimed at Modo as the larger mouse sat down in a chair. 

"Yeah, I am. Where's Throttle?" 

"Him and Charley and the other two green guys went to the garage to fix a van." Vinnie pushed the empty plate away from him. 

"Well that's just great. How are we supposed to go rescue those people if he ain't here?" The grey-furred mouse prowled through the pizza boxes, decided it was good to eat, and pulled some out. 

"What do you usually do?" Ryan leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. _Maybe now we could get to some serious issues._

"Ride in, shoot everything in sight, grab what we have to, and ride out exploding the building as we go." Vinnie jumped out of his seat as he wildly gestured. He fell back into it as it dangerously tilted back. He didn't fall though. 

Ryan frowned. "Sounds risky for a hostage situation." 

"Worked dozens of times." The white mouse wilted slightly under Modo's glare. "Okay, we usually end up surrendering to Fishlips and have to fight our way out. But it's part of the fun!" 

Mike stared soberly at Vinnie. "You have got a warped sense of fun. I like it!" 

Ryan sighed impatiently. "Yeah, but Val Tech will kill rather than take a chance of losing people to us. And we need Di alive. She's a doc."

"You've gotta protect the medics," Modo said. 

"Not just that. She's looking for a cure and a way to save the second gen." 

"Huh?" Mike replied. 

The elevator rumbled a bit so Ryan raised his voice slightly. "The second generation. The babies Mutates try to have always die." He looked up into the stricken faces around the table. "We can't take a chance with her life. And I'm sure you feel the same about Donatello." 

"That's a safe call. Though speaking from personal experience--being locked up with a beautiful woman ain't totally bad." 

Ryan wasn't sure which idea was worse: Donatello and Di or Allie and the Turtle in front of him. "You don't even know that they're being held together." 

"Yeah," Mike admitted. "But bad guys do stupid things like that. Why use two cages when one will do? I guess it saves on cleaning." 

"Limburger and those Val Tech people know we're coming back," Modo said slowly. 

"All the more reason to get in there and get them out quick." Vinnie's black-gloved fist hit the table. 

"You do that and they'll probably end up dead." Tala came down the metal stairs quickly. "Face it, Limburger knows you mouse scouts' style." Her glance moved from Ryan to Mike. "And your lackluster attempt at a prison break has put them on high alert. Not a pretty problem you face, glad I'm out of it." 

The young boy mouse's red eyes were puzzled. "You're not helping?" 

"I'm strictly advice and medicine supplier, Sparks. This ain't my fight. Besides, you got more than enough." 

Vinnie quickly bent his head to hide most of his dejected expression. "I though you wanted to kick some goon butt." 

"If we need this many chaperones on a date, something is definitely wrong with you." 

"I thought there was?" Sparks asked with a smirk. 

"Listen you little twerp...." 

Modo's flesh fist hit the table. "No more fightin' between you two! There's too much to do." 

"Yes, sir," the smallest Martian said quietly. Vinnie snorted under his breath but made no other comments. 

Modo continued to give them both hard looks. "What do you suggest, Tala-ma'am?" 

Ryan watched the self-proclaimed mercenary. The information she had compiled on these Plutarkians on Earth was creepy enough to give Stephen King a run for his money. And it was real. If she had experience against these guys, it would be worth listening to. Maybe adaptable to their kind of fighting. 

Tala sighed. "I'm not used to coordinating a large group of fighters. I'd rather leave the planning to Throttle and then poke holes in his strategy. But you have to scout out the situation. If you guys use your usual tactics, you might accidentally blow up the people you need to rescue." 

"Yeah, Vinnie's already outlined that. Way too dangerous. But who can do a scouting mission?" Ryan drummed his fingers on the table. He heard the muttered "buzzkill" from Vinnie. 

Sparks sighed. "Well you ain't gonna let me help with anything so I'm gonna see Zack." 

"We need Throttle here; I'm callin' the garage." Vinnie jumped out of his seat and Mike caught the chair before it hit the floor. "Hey Doll-face, where's your phone? And what's your number while we're at it?" 

Ryan glanced at his watch. It was now mid-afternoon. If they were going to pull off an attack tonight, they had to get crackin'. He sighed; it didn't look promising. 

* * *

Nothing really made sense. He could feel the racking pain of his body, but it was like a glass wall separated him from that torment. Another more crucial concern exploded into his mind. How could he have forgotten something so crucial as escape? But escape from where? 

He struggled to make his eyes open then wished he hadn't. He winced under the brightness and could vaguely see some kind of robot arms above him. He swallowed down the dizzying sense of panic. He used it instead to fuel his sluggish limbs. He fought to get free of the blanket keeping him in a bed. 

"Zack no." A familiar voice, one that had told him _no_ his entire life, said firmly. "You're safe. It's okay, you're safe." Her hands pressed him back into the bed. 

His eyes focused on her face. The blonde hair fell like a pair of curtains. The lips had a determined set. The sky-blue eyes held so much guilt and love. The three razor-thin scars ran across her cheek. "Allie." 

She smiled in relief. "You're following me again, Shadow." 

"Nope, none of this was my idea. I just agreed to go." 

"Then I guess it's fate." She brushed his bangs away from his eyes. 

He vaguely remembered something about the people who had caught him. And how his sister was sure to react. "Allie, this isn't your fault. I would've come if it had just been Raph." 

"I know whose fault it is, Shadow." 

Zack let out his breath in a whoosh of relief. "What about the kid, the mouse kid, Sparks?" 

"Hey cool, he's awake." A grey blur moved from the door to the bedside and came into focus. Sparks grinned down at him, showing his uneven buckteeth. "Howdja feel?" 

It took a long time to think of an answer. "Weird. What 'bout the others?" 

"The others are fine," Allie answered. "We just have to get you well." 

"Okay. Really would like to get well. Tired of being a bother." 

"You're not a bother," Sparks declared. 

"Keep an eye on him, Sparks. There's something I need to do." 

Zack wrenched his eyes open again. "Allie." 

She leaned over him and kissed his forehead. "You can't follow me this time, Shadow." 

He closed his eyes again. That phrase and action from his sister was familiar, from a long time back. She hadn't called him _Shadow_ since she came back to New York. The last time she had called him that was when she had run away. Run away never to come back. 

He jerked his uncooperative body upright. "Allie!" 

Sparks rushed to the bedside. "She's gone!" 

"Get her back!" 

The mouse boy looked dismayed. "MC?" 

"She has left the building, Ward Sparks," an electronically synthesized voice told them. 

"I can't." He swallowed hard. "And you gotta stay calm." 

"Get Mike. Hurry!" A spasm of pain rocked his body. Zack fell back. "Don't do anything stupid, Allie, please. Don't leave me again." 

* * *

The rest of the Black Bones arrived in Tala's loft apartment soon after Vinnie called for Throttle. Trash shot a withering glance at the back of Ryan's head and transferred it briefly to Mike before turning away. Ryan and Modo were safely engrossed in a map of Chicago, and Vinnie was trying his hardest to convince Tala to come with them when they decided what they were doing. Smarts and Eight headed straight for the food table. The way was clear for him to talk to her. 

Mike plopped down on the couch beside the skinny girl. "Not holding Allie's hand?" She asked sarcastically. 

"Here on a mission. Trying to figure out what is going on." The elevator rumbled again. 

"Surprised he didn't try to take your place." Trash flipped her black hair to the left side of her head and folded her arms over her chest. 

"I think he's trying to figure out what's going on too." 

She sighed, "Yeah, I guess. At least, he's here." 

Before Mike could ask her about that, Raphael stormed in through the stairwell door. "I'm tired of this waiting around! Let's go get Donnie!" 

"We are **not** charging in there to get shot." Leo scowled down from the catwalk as the group got off the elevator. "Besides, there is a new development." 

Raph scowled at the floor and slammed his body down onto the couch, jostling Trash into Mike. "Something else conveniently slipped Mona's mind?" 

The lizard-girl with brown hair followed Leo down the metal stairs. Charley and Throttle followed her, helping a short, Hispanic man along. "You didn't wait around to hear what I had to say. Last night, they took about seventy people to Limburger Tower; the same way Val Tech does. And they took his family." 

Modo stepped back from the table with the map. "Oh Momma, everybody, Manuelo?" 

"Sí, everybody." The Hispanic man with a tiny moustache and curly, black hair sagged against Throttle. 

"Are they gonna be mutated too?" The grey-furred mouse stared down at the closest Black Bone. 

"Probably. And the longer they're prisoners, the higher that chance gets." Ryan ran his hand through his short, brown hair. 

"We're getting Manuelo's family back A.S.A.P.," Throttle's tone brooked no arguing. "So we need a clean-sweep prison break." 

"Wow, seventy at once. That'll be a personal best." Vinnie was the only one who looked excited. 

"Just like Val Tech to try to force our hand." Ryan growled as he hit his leg with his fist. 

"Maybe they didn't think it was challenging enough before." Trash said witheringly. 

"It wasn't." 

Tala thumped the white mouse's shoulder. "People in trouble, remember that, Mouse Scout." 

"More potential members of my fan club." The tone was light, but the half-metal face darkened. 

"So what's the plan?" Modo turned his one-eyed gaze to Throttle. 

"Get our amigo patched up." 

Tala frowned. "How bad?" 

"Concussion," Charley answered. "Maybe some internal injuries." 

"I need a bigger medbay." 

"Battle plan?" Modo asked. 

"I knew I was forgetting something. Charley put us to work." 

The human woman with chestnut hair folded her arms across her chest. "Oh yeah, blame me. But I won't ever recommend any of you for an Indy 500 pit crew." 

"Thank god." Mona collapsed into a chair. "Those matching jumpsuits are tacky." 

"Ma familia. What is this mutating? What are they going to do to ma familia?" Manuelo's bewildered face turned back to Throttle. Mike winced in sympathy. 

Tala reached the man leaning against the tan-furred mouse. "Don't worry, we'll get your family." 

"Yeah, we just need to figure out how to get 'em out without 'em gettin hurt." Throttle looked at Tala. "Where?" 

"Up to my ship." 

"Ship?" Manuelo's eyes open wider. 

"It's okay; we're not flying anywhere." Tala patted his arm soothingly. "Back up the stairs now." 

While they eased the confused human up to the catwalk, Raph stopped staring at Mona and turned his attention to Charley. "How broke is the van?" His voice was still angry, but the edge had been replaced with some respect. Mike carefully hid his smile. The mechanic had figured out how to manage Raphael. 

Charley sighed as she wandered toward the refrigerator. "The chassie isn't bent. Looks like it was triple reinforced during construction. Think I have a weapon system designed for it, but that's going to take longer." She grabbed a can of root beer out of it. "And finding enough body panels to patch it won't be easy." She paused long enough to nearly drain the can. "Looking at least a week's worth of work. Getting all those people out is more important." 

"Yeah, and we're still sitting here on our butts!" Raph jumped up and surged toward the stairwell door again. 

"I hate to interrupt a good temper tantrum. This one shows signs to equal if not to surpass some of Mistress Tala's." The feminine electronic voice from nowhere shocked Raph to a halt. 

Tala's red face leaned over the catwalk railing. "MC!" 

"However Ninja Michaelangelo's presence is being requested in the medbay." 

_So they have a spaceship that talks inside the house. Wonder if it transforms too? Maybe becomes a giant city-smashing robot?_ Mike jumped away from the couch. "Allie needs me?" 

"I am afraid she has left the building. The patient Mr. Baker is asking vehemently for you. If he becomes more agitated, I will have to sedate him." 

Mike rushed past Raph to jerk open the stairwell door. _What the hell? Allie left? What on Earth could've made her leave?_ A large portion of the group followed him up the stairs to the hanger bay. The rest moved out of the elevator cage behind Throttle, Tala, and Manuelo. But Mike stayed in the lead all the way to Zack's bedside. Tala passed the bed to reach the computer terminal. 

Zack's purple face was scrunched in pain as he struggled to get out of the bed. Mike eased him back down. "You gotta rest, Zack. Or the doc is gonna give you sleepy meds." 

He relaxed underneath the strong green hands but his face twisted in pain and worry. "Allie. Doing somethin' stupid." The boy sucked down air. "Called me _Shadow_. Doesn't call me that anymore. Not since runnin' away." 

"Where did she go?" Mike looked up from Zack to Sparks. 

He shrugged his T-shirt-clad shoulders. "She just said she had something to take care of. I thought she was going downstairs with you guys." 

"Miss Baker has left the building," MC interjected. "No way was given to track her away from base." 

Leo made an angry choking sound. Mike looked over his shoulder. Leo grabbed Raph by the belt and dragged him out of the medbay. Mike frowned slightly as he watched. A frown curled on Throttle's snout. He eased Manuelo into Modo's arms and left behind Leo and Raph. _Looks like I got left out of the loop._ He turned back to Zack. "I'll get her don't worry." 

"I... I... don't wanna lose her, Mike." He closed his eyes against the pain. "They want her." 

"You won't, Zack. Not to those creeps." 

"The ibicoian is wearing off." Tala turned from the computer monitor. "MC, give him another dose." A blue liquid began to cloud the clear liquid in the IV bag mounted to the wall. It trickled down into Zack's arm, and the boy's face relaxed as soon as it hit his bloodstream. 

"You'll watch him, right?" Mike looked around the room. 

"I'm staying," Sparks said quickly as if afraid someone else was going to say it first. 

Mike grinned at him, gave Zack's hair a friendly ruffle, and headed for the door. Raph and Leo were outside the ship with a grave Throttle and Mona. Everyone else but Sparks, Modo, Manuelo, Charley, and Tala, trickled out after Mike. 

"I specifically said **not** to tell her! I know you can't stand her, Raphael, but do you honestly want to see her dead?" If Leo had nostrils, they would be flaring. 

"Tell her what?" Mike asked quietly. 

Raph's pensive expression all too quickly shifted to resentful. "Not my fault if she's too stupid to just walk into a trap! I'm not looking out for her! That's Mike's job. The one he wanted so badly!" 

Mike sighed. "Tell her what?" 

"I **told** you not to tell her!" 

"It slipped out! I didn't think she'd go!" 

"You never think!" 

"And you think too much, fearless leader! If you hadn't been spending so much time thinking, we'd already have Donnie out of there!" 

_Of all the times to get started on their fighting kick._ Mike marched around them and tapped Throttle's furry arm. "What the hell is going on? And where has Allie gone?" 

"Limburger left a message at the garage saying he wanted to meet with her. Said he had an antidote for Zack. Which he doesn't. But Leo said we shouldn't tell her...." 

"Because she'd go get herself killed." Mike finished with a sigh. 

The tan mouse frowned harder. "How likely is that? She didn't seem suicidal?" 

The Turtle in the orange mask shrugged. "I say she isn't; they say she is." He gestured at his arguing brothers. "Zack wants her back. That's enough reason for me." He moved toward the elevator. 

"No way you'll get there in time," Vinnie declared, "not unless you ride with the king of speed." His chest inflated proudly. 

"Even a king can't fit three people on his bike. I'm coming too." Ryan trotted after them toward the elevator. 

Mike glanced back at Trash. The girl's face pinched tight and she stormed back up the ramp into the spaceship. 

Leo broke off yelling at Raph. "Where are you going?" 

"To pick up Allie before something happens. Finish yelling at Raph. We'll be back before you're done." The elevator gate clanged shut and Mike grinned at them through the grillwork. The grin slid off his face as the elevator descended. _I trust you Allie. I know you're not getting yourself killed. But damnit, when are you going to start telling me about these bright ideas!_


	17. Chapter 16: The Trap is Sprung

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Sixteen  
The Trap is Sprung**

Mike had rode with Allie on a bike once before. And he remembered calling her an insane driver. He took it all back as he gripped the bandoleers of true insanity. 

"AOOOW!" Vinnie's bike leaped into the air and slammed back down on the deserted Chicago street. Luckily there was no cavernous potholes waiting for them. The crumbling seemed concentrated on the buildings lining the street or what was left of them. The white mouse jerked his head over his shoulder. "Better keep up, Earth boy!" He yelled over the roar of the engines. 

The silver Ninja gunned ahead of Vinnie's red racer. "Keep your mouth closed. Less drag," came floating back at them. 

"Hardee har har." Vinnie tugged at his bandoleers and glanced over his shoulder at his passenger. "So what do you think your ninja babe is gonna do to Fishlips?" 

"Depends on Fishlips. First off, he don't have an antidote. But Allie knows that. She's smart like that." Mike gulped as the two bikes shot around the corner and wished he had a helmet. But none had fitted his head. And it was too wimpy to tuck into his shell. 

"She really whipped tail on that biker gang last night. It'd be fun to watch again." 

The Turtles shook his head. "Unless he fights first, she won't." 

"Nah, Limburger always hires guys to do his fighting. Too bad." 

Ryan glanced over when the red bike sidled up to him. "I can't believe she didn't coordinate with anyone. That's not like her." 

"The job needs doing, Al's the one to get it done. She got the sense of responsibility in our relationship." 

Ryan's dark blue helmet shook from side to side. "Seriously, she should've told someone she was going. It's not safe for one person." 

"She did okay the last time," Vinnie interjected. "You were the ones getting shot at and not liking it." 

"Besides my girl don't like being told _no_." 

The human growled under his breath. "Does Allie being your girl justify her being stupid too?" 

The rarely pushed anger button went off. Mike stiffened and focused his attention on the other rider rather than the thought Vinnie was going to kill them all. "Allie is not stupid. She's not crazy. She's not a bloodthirsty killer. I have to hear enough flack from my brothers about her. I **don't** have to take you bad-mouthin' my girl." 

"I'm not bad-mouthing her. But going alone **is** stupid. When she was with the Bones...." 

"She's had the lone fighter routine goin' for a while now." Mike sighed gloomily. "The Ronin is the end result." 

"Ronin," Vinnie rolled the word out of his mouth. "Frank Miller?" 

"Means _masterless samurai_ in Japanese." 

Vinnie chortled. "Yeah, I guess she doesn't like taking orders either." 

"Allie is a great team player. She and Skulls kept the Bones going when everyone else said it would fall apart. I can't believe that would change." Ryan angrily increased his speed. 

Vinnie kept up with him. Mike's grip on the bandoleers tightened again. "Hard to be a team player when you lose the team. Ever noticed how few pro sports players go solo?" _Concentrate on Ryan. Maybe then I can ignore how Vinnie keeps wanting to drive this bike on its side._ The bike wobbled but stayed upright. 

"You forbid Allie to help? The best strategist the Mutates ever had? Are you crazy?" 

"I never forbid her to do anything. I just asked that she'd take me on the ride." 

"What have you done to the best fighter we ever had?" Ryan demanded. "I can't believe she'd put up with it. She should've come back to the Bones." 

"After running away to keep those Val Tech people from tracking you down?" Vinnie asked. 

"It's none of your business," Ryan snapped. 

"I'm just havin' problems seeing where it's yours." 

"Allie is an old friend. She's not happy and I want to know why. Why--if you love her--are you making her miserable?" 

"Look Ryan, let's get one thing clear before I morph into Raph on you! The only way I'm to blame for any of Al's unhappiness is for **not** kicking my brothers' shells for her sake. And I didn't 'cause she told me not to. 'A family together is stronger than a family fighting,' is what she'd say. What never seemed to matter is that Allie is a part of our family. Yeah, they're real quick to adopt Zack." Mike realized just how bitter his voice was getting, and for once, didn't throw in a joke to lighten the mood. "I was hopin' that things would change once we all got back together. But everything is falling back into the old ruts!" 

"Why in the world would they have a problem with Allie helping?" Ryan asked bewilderedly. 

"We're a team, but not used to letting others into the team." Mike stared at the grey blur of the passing buildings. Swatches of color were added to it briefly under the working streetlights. "It's not just Allie; we've got other friends who get shafted just as much. But Al has constantly.... It just got easier for her to help without clearing it with us. Without even tellin' us." 

Ryan glowered through his lifted faceplate. "You love her so much, and told her to sit on the sidelines?" 

"I never told her anything! Or asked her. I would just play diplomat and she would do whatever it took to keep us together. She never wanted me to choose. She wanted me to have both her and my brothers." 

"The girl has skills. I've seen her fight." Vinnie leaned further on his bike as they rounded a curve. "Seems a waste." 

Mike had to gulp a couple of times before he could speak. "It is a waste. And nothing's changing." 

"She needs to just kick their asses and get over it," Vinnie declared. They reached the end of the street and he screeched his bike to a stop. The tan and blue skyscraper lit by floodlights filled the space before them. "Limburger Tower. Which door do we drive through?" 

"None of them." Mike gratefully leaped off the bike. Terra firma never felt so firm. 

"You are crazy! Allie is probably alone in there now!" Ryan twisted on his silver bike to glare at him. 

"And us charging in after her will make her mad and get all those hostages killed. If we were part of her plan, she would have told us." 

"She doesn't have a plan! She just threw herself to them because Raphael got her worked up." 

Mike blew a raspberry. "I told you. My girl ain't stupid. She never does anything without a plan. Had to, only way to keep my brothers in the dark about her helping." 

"I don't like this. And I can't understand why you kept her on the sidelines." 

"And people say I have a listening problem," Vinnie snickered. 

"I can't believe you idiots," Ryan continued, ignoring Vinnie. "No wonder she's pulling suicidal stunts." 

"Allie's not suicidal," Mike declared hotly as he jumped on top of the street corner drop box. "She just doesn't think her life is very important." 

"Practically the same thing," Ryan insisted. 

"No, it isn't dude. And if you knew the first thing about my girl...." 

Ryan cut him off. "Allie and I went through a lot of shit, but I'd never let her waltz into that place," he gestured at the building, "alone. And I certainly wouldn't be so calm about it. She could get killed!" 

"She never told me she was going," Mike answered flippantly. His eyes stared at the building. _I trust you, Allie. I trust you to come back to me in one piece._

"You don't deserve her." 

Vinnie glanced from one to the other. "Somebody's got a crush on her!" 

Ryan's visible face inside his dark blue helmet reddened considerably. "That is ridiculous. We're just good friends. And it's none of your business, Martian!" 

Vinnie snickered. "Must've hit a nerve. Understandable, she is a hottie. I'd hit on her too if I thought there was a chance." 

"And the fact that Tala would yank your ears off has what to do with that decision?" Mike cocked his head to one side as he looked at the white mouse. 

"More than I like to think about," he muttered. "For someone who says there's nothing serious between us, she sure has a jealous streak as wide as the Valles Marineris." 

Mike chuckled. "Better watch out or you'll end up being her first and her last." 

"If she doesn't kill me first." He looked at the Turtle suspiciously. "And what do you mean by that?" 

"Means we get to grill ya while we wait for Allie." A large grin broke out under his orange mask. 

* * *

Donnie gritted his teeth. The needle dug deeper into his leg. It spasmed against the restraints. One of the lab-coated technicians tightened the strap around his left ankle. The Turtle gulped down air while the needle was paused. _The worse thing about knowing so much science is knowing exactly what they're doing to me._ They were taking a marrow sample without sedation in his leg because it was easier to get to than the hipbone that was partially under his shell. 

He had to take this chance, had to concentrate. There was a way out. He just had to think about it. Then once he had a plan, his ninja skills would execute it flawlessly. It's what he was trained for, him and his brothers. His brothers, worry broke his concentration. _Where are they? Do they have them in another lab, strapped down, poked and prodded as well?_

The strap was tightened around his ankle and his thigh before the needle began moving again. He gritted his teeth again and tried to meditate to distance himself from this. But the pain kept drawing him back. His arms pulled against the restraints on his wrists. 

The needle hit the bone and kept going. He couldn't stop the screaming that erupted from his mouth. He wanted to. He needed to. He had to concentrate and find a way out of this. But it hurt so bad. He could feel the needle rotating in his bone. He was more aware of his leg than he had ever been before, especially where the needle twisted. There had to be a way to get free. But he couldn't stop screaming. 

"Someone shut it up!" The redheaded woman smoothed her white lab coat as she looked down into Donnie's face. 

"But you didn't want the findings skewed by anesthetics, Ms. Val?" The lab technician questioned as he pulled out the needle. 

"Muzzle it. I hire you people for your brains and you can't even think of that." Her scornful voice rode over Donnie's quieting screams. 

The needle was out and it didn't hurt as bad. He could almost get his breath back. Another technician wrapped straps around his chin and head and pulled tight. Donnie tried to keep his mouth open but the force against his jaw was too strong. His teeth snapped together. His control snapped. He struggled against the restraints keeping him pinned to the examination table. The straps didn't budge. And he felt the pinprick against his leg again. 

"See how much quieter it is now," Val crooned. She smiled and Donnie decided he had never seen a more twisted expression before in his life and never wanted to see it again. 

An hour later that felt so much longer, they finally wiped off the blood from all the punctures and released him. Two guards dragged him back down to the cell. His left leg didn't want to work at all. Two more guards stood in front of the cell door; one pressing gauze against the other's face. "What happened to you?" The guard squeezing Donnie's left arm asked. 

The guard stepped away from the injured one. "That hellfire bitch cat tried to escape is what happened!" the injured one screamed. Blood welled up in the deep slashes raked down his face and trickled onto the undamaged skin. "She nearly took my face off!" 

"You got her back? Arkson will turn us into guinea pigs next if she got away!" The guard on Donnie's right cried into his ear. 

Hope surged into Donnie's chest. If Di got away, she could get help. There had to be more Mutates in Chicago. But the hope shriveled when the other guard laughed. "She didn't get very far thanks to the screaming freak there. It threw her just long enough for me to slug her with the rifle butt. And she just got her lashes, so little Miss Kitty ain't going to be walking--much less escaping anytime soon. Watch the door while we get him patched, will ya?" 

"Sure." The guards shoved Donnie inside and slammed the heavy door shut. 

The Turtle caught himself on his hands and knees against the floor. He looked up quickly for Di. She huddled in the corner, the tawny gold of her fur ruined by angry red stripes down and across her back. "Di!" He croaked. His throat felt raw. 

She shifted slightly and hissed in pain. "I don't know what hurts the worst: my head, my back, or my pride. They tore my shirt off and didn't make one comment on my body." 

Donnie felt his face grow hot as he realized that the tank top was missing and why she must be huddled over like she was. "Uh... um." He managed to sit down with his back to her. "Does their opinion matter?" _Way to go, brainiac! That's a great way to show you care._ "What I mean is if they had liked what they saw and we already know their control freaks...." He let his voice trail away. 

"Yeah, I guess I should be glad they don't want to rape me." She laughed sarcastically. "As illogical as it is, a girl likes to know she's desirable. Not that it matters much to my life now." 

"You're beautiful no matter what." His face grew even hotter after he blurted that out. "Not that my opinion matters." 

"It matters to me," she said softly. "Thank you." 

His leg throbbed with pain. "I'm glad it matters to you," he gasped. 

"Are you alright? What did they do to you?" 

"Took marrow samples out of my leg. Lost count of how many. Still hurts. How bad is your back bleeding?" 

"I don't think it is bleeding anymore. It just hurts to move." The cat-like Mutate proved her statement by shifting and moving closer and inhaling sharply as she did so. She suddenly chuckled. "Most guys would be trying to sneak a peek." 

Donnie felt his face going hot again. "Master Splinter taught us better than that." 

"And I thought it was inborn modesty. You can look; the fur covers everything." 

He turned slightly so he could see her kneeling near him. The tawny fur ran smoothly down her throat, over the swell of her breasts, and down her taunt abdomen marred only by her blue jeans shorts forcing the fur up at her waist. But she was wrong; he could see the peaks of her nipples through the strands of fur. And her figure topped by that exquisite face and hypnotic green-gold eyes reminded him all too pointedly that he was a male Turtle. He jerked his eyes away, positive that his face was brick red now. "No, I don't think I can," he said brusquely. 

It seemed ages before she said anything and when she did her voice was so miserable Donnie had to turn and look at her again. "Why did I have to find you now?" 

"What's wrong with now? Other than the obvious." 

She rearranged herself and drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I have responsibilities." 

"I can understand that. Wanting to undo your father's evil." Donnie held his breath, unsure how she would react to it said so bluntly. 

"That's only part of it. The other part isn't safe to talk about." She looked directly at him. "You never asked me whether it was true. I did kill my mother." 

"I figured you'd say something when you wanted me to know." He swallowed hard. 

"I was four. Dashed out into the street. My mother grabbed me, got me out of the way and was hit. She lingered until my father took her off life-support. I don't remember it at all. My father told me the story over and over again. Hating me more every time." 

"Oh Di. You're not responsible for that." 

She smiled slightly with her still human lips. "I know that. I have a responsibility for his crimes. And I have to live up to the promise my mother saw in me. Which leads to my responsibilities for my people." Her green-gold eyes brimmed with tears. "And now I've met you. And I... I never anticipated the possibility of you, if that makes any sense." Her voice faltered. "I never planned for a relationship with an equal. I have trouble finding them. I tend to intimidate everyone. And... and this," the tears spilt over, "this won't go anywhere. My responsibilities will keep us apart." Her head bent down to rest against her knees. 

_There is a big something she's leaving out. I can't ask her about it now. It's too dangerous. And it hurts too much to watch her cry._ Donnie scooted closer, ignoring the pain in his leg. He reached over and petted the back of her head. "Don't cry, please. You have to concentrate on the now; something Master Splinter told us." Di looked up with darker lines of wet fur down her cheeks. He swallowed hard. "I know there's nothing good about being here, but...." She uncurled from the ball she had made and leaned against him. Donnie snapped his mouth shut to keep from screwing up this bit of luck and wrapped his arm carefully around her shoulders to avoid her injuries. His hand continued to stroke her hair. It seemed to soothe them both. 

* * *

Limburger pushed his corpulent body away from his desk and stood at the floor-to-ceiling window behind it. "Yes, today was profitable. Overall that is," he said to his dim reflection in the glass. "The mutated goons are recovering. Should be battle ready in a few weeks. And Ms. Val says she will finish the job once she has Martian DNA. Rather insistent on it, given that **she** was the one who was supposed to capture them," he scowled. 

His face brightened as he turned and considered his sparsely lit office. "But my building is still standing despite numerous attacks yesterday." He chuckled ominously and a movement wave cascading down his many chins with the sound. "That must rankle those courageous chipmunks. And I got to rub their snouts in it." His white-gloved hands rubbed together in glee. "I have that satisfaction from that phone call at least." He picked up the martial arts movie videocassette off his desk and studied the cover intently. "But I am a patient fish." 

"Just not a very observant one." The female voice rang mockingly through his office. 

"Who's there?" 

"I'm sorry, I thought we had an appointment. My mistake." Something moved out of the shadows and revealed itself to be a female, at least five inches shorter than he, dressed entirely in black including covering her entire head with a tight mask made of spandex-like material. He could see her eyes glittering underneath the mesh shielding over the only holes cut in the fabric. 

"The ninja," he whispered in almost awe. 

"I prefer to be called the Ronin." 

Limburger pulled himself together. _She came, she actually came. And now I have to make her mine._ "Yes, of course. I am Lawrence Lactavius Lim...." 

"I know who and what you are." 

Not quite liking the tone of her voice, he chuckled depreciatingly. "You really can't believe everything those Martians told you. After all, they have their own agenda for this planet." _Oh, that's good. Play up to the human's fear of the Other._

"Everyone has an agenda. Right now, I'm interested in yours." Her arms hung by her sides, a non-confrontational pose. 

"Mine?" Limburger slowly sank into his chair with a hopefully charming grin. "I'm just a businessman, trying to get resources that my home world lacks." 

The Ronin moved closer to his desk. "And where do I fit into that agenda?" 

He leaned back in his chair lazily. _These humans are so easy to deal with. Any species so simple to deceive deserve to be conquered._ "The Martians, they don't understand. The people of Earth will be massively compensated for resources that won't even be missed. Both of our planets will prosper." 

She stared down at him from the other side of the desk. "And the Martians keep getting in the way?" 

"Precisely! Granted their anger is understandable. The former administration took unnecessarily extreme measures on Mars. Exploited the planet and its people. But that's not the situation on Earth." _The best lies contain a grain of truth. And always pass the blame._

"Then why come in secret? Why hide your identity; what you are?" 

"This coming from the human behind her own mask," he said dryly. "You must know how your people would treat extraterrestrial. Just look at how you treat members of your own species." 

"You have a point. But you have aligned yourself with people guilty of the worst atrocities against their own species." 

Limburger heaved a fake sigh. "To gain some useful technology. Unfortunately, the people in my organization need augmentation. Strictly volunteer. I had no idea she was going to continue her activities on helpless citizens. Your earlier entrance is due to a grievance against Val Tech?" 

"Perhaps." The blue eyes behind the mesh were cold. 

"Then perhaps we could help each other," Limburger purred. _She knows something about them. That could be very useful._ "I understand that you ninjas are strictly work-for-hire. Let us make a mutually beneficial business arrangement." 

She walked up to the giant aquarium wall. "It has been a long time since someone has offered me a business deal." Her voice sounded amused. 

_Play up the vanity now._ "Then they have clearly not seen your impressive skills." 

"And I suppose the antidote hinges on disposing of the Martians for you?" She walked down the length of the aquarium. 

_So much for hoping she'd just be interested in the money. But if she saw that need so quickly, perhaps she is not objectionable to disposing of the vermin. But don't state it too bluntly._ "Unfortunately. They are unable to prevent themselves from meddling in my business affairs. Recovering from their innumerable fiascoes is reaching astronomical costs. I'm afraid at this point, the only solution possible is elimination." Limburger held his breath. This was the pivotal moment of negotiations. 

"Yes, I can see why that is your only option. And since Val Tech failed so miserably to capture them, it's time to find new help." 

"Precisely." _Give me a capitalist to deal with anytime. Time to remind her of what she doesn't like about them._ "And of course, their treatment of innocent citizens." 

The Ronin laughed, and Limburger gulped involuntarily. "Let's be perfectly honest. Just like the last guy who offered me a partnership, you don't give a damn about the people you hurt. You're here to wreck Earth. And you don't have any type of antidote." She pivoted to face him. "I dress like a ninja and use their tactics, but I am a ronin. So I'm turning down your business deal. But I'll give you a promise instead. You will pay for the crimes you have committed on this planet." 

Limburger frowned. _So it's a bust. Not that I really expected anyone who has fought with those bloody Biker Mice to join me._ He pushed the silent alarm button under his desk. "Well, I am sorry you have taken the less profitable path. But...." The set of double doors into his office swung open, revealing a line of his smirking goons with brandished laser pistols. "I'm afraid I'll have to insist that you give me the leverage I need over Val Tech." His apologetic tone was ruined by his hearty malevolent chuckles. 

The Ronin moved serenely, untroubled by the guns at her back. She reached the spot of the floor that held the lift down to Karbunkle's lab. Her eyes met Limburger's. "I wonder where this goes," she commented mockingly as her foot pressed down on the hidden control button. 

Speechless with the uncontrollable fury that washed over him, he watched her sink out of his grasp. But she was headed straight to Karbunkle's lab. "**AFTER HER!**" he roared lividly at the goons. They scrambled away to do his bidding. 

* * *

Allie looked back up at Limburger's office as she moved further away from it. She smiled under her hood as she heard his bellowing. _Idiot. Like I didn't look for all possible exits before revealing myself, but I didn't have time to get to the door in the wall._ She looked down at the room she was descending into. It was large, taking up three floors of vertical space. The walls were lined in metal. She floated past immobile robot arms hung from the ceiling. The arms had what could be scientific instruments on the end, but they reminded her of torture devices. Below on the floor, the room contained examination tables, supply cabinets, strange machinery, and computer terminals that filled the space of an entire wall. 

An odd-shaped humanoid was hunched over one of the computer terminals; a skinny being with a larger than normal head dressed in white lab coat that was long enough to be a dress. The head was bald except for a patch of sandy-colored hair stuck on top. A green strap wrapped around the back of the skull, and it looked like two wires from its belt were plugged into the side above its ear. It ignored the section of floor from above that landed on the floor. 

The creature pounding its own head with a wooden mallet noticed the Ronin though. It looked like the kid who built Frankenweenie's next project. His feet were shaped like a dog's and a brown bushy tail wagged happily with every blow. One arm was a normal humanoid one. The arm holding the mallet was a green tentacle. Its head was round; the top held on by a row of staples. Its three eyes lit up with more joy. "Oh! Shinny, pointy, sharp, pain sticks! Let me play with 'em pleeeaase!" 

The scientist didn't look up from what he was working on. "Shut up, Fred!" it wheezed. 

Fred sighed and resumed pounding his head with the mallet. 

Allie moved silently behind the scientist. She really couldn't see what he was working on, but he hit save with a satisfied grunt. _I hope this is one of my moments of brilliant inspiration._ She reached past him, hit the button, and grabbed the disk that popped out. "What's this?" 

He jerked away from the console, staring at her with black-lens goggles. "Give that back!" 

She jerked it out of his reach and stepped back. "Must be important if you're that upset." 

The rubber-gloved hands tried to grab the disk again. She kept it away from him. "Give that back, you illogical illiteriate!" 

"I've never been called that before." Allie risked a glance at the disk. It looked like a normal zip disk. _I may have found the jackpot. Just don't know how much is in the pot._ Her masked face betrayed nothing. "You don't look like the Val Tech type, so you must be on Limburger's payroll. He wasn't kidding about scraping the bottom of the barrel." 

The scientist screeched in rage, whirled, and grabbed a remote control off the console. The robot arms above creaked to life. The pinchers and probes plunged towards her. Allie dodged, rolling under an examination table. 

Fred dropped the mallet. "She don't wanna play, Doc. Play with me! Play with me!" 

"Shut up, you masochistic misfit!" 

Two robot arms with large pinchers grabbed the examination table she was under. The metal shrieked as they pulled it free from the support bolted to the floor. Allie rolled away from the sparking wires. 

The scientist cackled. "You can't escape, not unless you blow something up. Now give it back!" 

"You've got a one-track mind." The robot pinchers dropped the examination table and reached down for her. The round metal doors to the side slid open. The goons from upstairs stormed across a small bridge over a recess in the floor. _There. The way out._ She leaped to her feet. "Hello boys." 

They opened fire. She leaped. The robot arms exploded under the barrage of laser bolts. She landed roughly in the recess. 

"YOU **IDIOTS**!" the scientist screamed. 

"Here's the bull's-eye! WHEE!" 

"Not in front of me, Fred!" 

Allie scrambled out of the recess. She clambered over the bridge and found the door controls. She grinned under her mask as the door slid shut. A quick thrust with her sai damaged the controls. They would have to pry the doors open. She shoved the disk into a pouch on her belt and sprinted to the nearest air vent. 

* * *

Vinnie rested his elbows on the crankcase of his red racer and heaved a sigh. This waiting was too boring. A good laugh had been had at his expense after they had wormed out of him how for he hadn't gotten with Tala. But he didn't tell them why and they had thankfully let the subject die. 

Ryan was beating a nervous staccato against his leg. The Turtle was still perched on the mailbox, humming lightly to himself as the breeze tugged on the orange ends of his bandanna mask. _I don't know how he's doing it. Sit like that without movin' and stayin' so calm about his girl being in there alone. I don't think I could let Tala go in alone. Yeah... yeah, she would be in there alone. Cause she'd leave me bound and gagged somewhere. Mmmm, bound and gagged._

Vinnie was awakened from the erotic turn his thoughts had taken when Mike jumped down. "They found her exit." 

"What?" But the Turtle was gone. He shrugged his white-furred shoulders at the human's interrogative expression. Then he heard the laser fire. "Bout time! This way!" He revved his bike and squealed the tires across the pavement. 

Their headlights picked out a group of Limburger's goons converging on the shadowy side of the Tower. A black blur moved within them. And a goon flew through the air. He landed in front of Vinnie and Ryan's halted bikes. Another bounced off the wall of the building. 

"Bonzai!" Twirling some sticks connected with a short chain, Mike leaped into the fray. 

"Damnit!" With them in the middle of all the goons, Vinnie couldn't shoot. He folded his arms across his chest to keep his fingers away from the triggers and sulked. But as he watched, he grudgingly had to admit they didn't need his guns. The goons didn't have a chance to use theirs either. 

Mike slung those sticks around the arms of the goons and broke them effortlessly. Allie kicked and punched the goons to unconsciousness. A few minutes later and all the goons were on the ground. The ones that were still capable of groaning did. 

Allie leaped and Mike caught her. He spun her around. "Thought you were never comin' out. What took so long?" 

"He's a long-winded pompous bastard." 

"Must've talked to Limburger," Vinnie smirked. 

"You should've told us." Ryan said with a trace of anger as Mike set her back down on the ground. 

"There wasn't time to discuss it in committee." The blue eyes blinked innocently behind her mask. 

"Did you hit Limburger?" Vinnie's tail lashed through the air. 

"Sorry to disappoint, but no. Next time will be a different story." 

Mike gazed up at the Tower. "Payback party time!" 

"You shouldn't have gone in there. Now, they know we're coming." 

Mike frowned. "Ryan dude, they already knew we were coming back. They have Donnie and Di." 

"Was it worth it?" Vinnie interjected. 

She shrugged. "I didn't get to see the Val Tech side of things. I did get this." She pulled a disk out of a pouch on her belt. She handed it to Mike. "You better keep it safe." 

"What is it?" The Turtle asked curiously. 

"Don't know but the skinny guy with the large head I got it from pitched a fit when I took it." 

"Karbunkle," Vinnie spat venomously. 

"I guess he isn't on your Christmas card list," Allie said blandly. 

"You got that right! He's a demented psycho! He...." 

"Did you see any hostages?" Ryan interrupted. 

"No, I didn't see Donnie or Di. But I didn't think it was a good idea to go looking for them." 

Mike winced and glanced up at the building again. "He's hurtin'. At least that means he's alive." Allie curled her hand around his three-fingered one. 

"That's not what I was talking about. They took more hostages. And we should get out of here before more of those guys come out." Ryan looked down at the goon in front of the bike and shook his head. 

"She missed that announcement." Mike squeezed her hand. "You ride with Vinnie, okay?" 

"Afraid of something, Mike?" Ryan's sneering eyes gazed out of his dark blue helmet. Vinnie frowned slightly. It was never good when two guys started fighting over a girl. 

"Yeah, puking all over him." 

Allie swung on behind the white mouse with the practiced ease of an experienced biker. "Let's go. We need to get Mona and my bike. How many hostages did they take?" 

"Mona showed up already. She's the lizard girl, right?" Vinnie gunned his bike and whirled around to head back up the street and avoided running over any of the goons. 

"Salamander actually," Allie yelled back. 

"She told us about the other hostages. About seventy citizens." 

"Well, she didn't bring my bike. She hates it." 

Something occurred to him, something he wanted to ask the Turtle about. Vinnie slowed his speed and let Ryan's silver Ninja pull up beside him. "Hey Mike, howdja do that?" 

"Howd I do what?" He yelled back. 

"Know she was in trouble; know about your brother." 

"Oh. Just a little psychic thing I do." Ryan shot his bike ahead and Mike grimaced as held on tighter. 

"Is he joking?" Vinnie tossed back to Allie. 

He saw her shake her head in his rearview mirror. "He always has known more about me than I do. And he always has great timing whenever his brothers are in trouble." 

"Okay." Vinnie turned his eyes back to the road. _Man, can it get any weirder? And that's **not** a challenge!_


	18. Chapter 17: Don't You Hate It When Every...

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Seventeen  
Don't You Hate It When Everyone is Right**

Ryan slumped against the wall of the elevator. "They had to go get Allie's bike and they still beat us back." 

"Don't take it so hard, dude. Those are outer space bikes. They probably have jet engines or something." Mike rocked back and forth as the elevator climbed up Tala's building. "Wish we had gotten here at the same time." 

"Yeah, now you're concerned." 

"Cause all the bad guys can do to hurt Allie is hurt us or kill her." 

_What the hell does that mean?_ He didn't ask. It wasn't right that the Turtle knew Allie so much better than he did. And the way she leaped into his arms. He gritted his teeth not to snarl. 

The elevator finally came to a stop. They could hear the shouting from Tala's huge loft apartment. Mike quickly threw open the gate and moved down the metal stairs. Ryan followed behind him. 

"How could you be so irresponsible? You can't risk your neck playing ninja. First off, you die and the Oroku clan wins. Second off, you have no right endangering Donatello and Di's lives, not to mention the other hostages!" 

Ryan could only blink. He didn't think Leonardo could get this furious. But the blue-masked Turtle had the room enthralled with his yelling. 

Mike tried to get to Allie's side, but Raph grabbed him. "No, Mikey. Somebody's gotta tell her." 

Throttle and Charley held Vinnie back. The white-furred Martian spluttered with anger. "Keep your hothead out of it!" Throttle ordered right in his ear. 

Leonardo ignored them. "You keep doing this. Running off to save the day heedless of the risks. Even Raph shows more sense than that. We don't need a repeat of the first time you went up against the Shredder solo! Or the last time either! So could you please save your suicidal stunts till after we get them out and Zack is okay!" 

Mona Lisa moved into Ryan's field of vision. A damp towel was wrapped turban-style around her head. Her tail twitched nervously. "Allie." 

"It's alright, Mona. Leonardo's entitled to his opinion." Ryan shivered. He knew that cold, flat voice. Skulls had called it her may-God-have-mercy-on-their-souls voice. Allie stood in front of Leo, twisting the Ronin's hood in her hands. Her eyes were focused on that material. 

"Opinion?! Haven't you listened to a single thing I've said?" 

She looked up at him. "Yes. And apparently you think I'm an idiot. Raphael thinks I'm a coward. So that leaves what for Donatello, psychotic?" 

"I don't think you're an...." 

"Spare me, please. None of you have **ever** considered me capable. Despite the face that I've been doing stuff like this longer than you've known people!" Leo tried to break in, but she overrode him. "Not capable of fighting, not capable of planning, not capable of loving. And all I wanted to do was help fight the monsters. But I forgot I can't. I'm not capable." 

Mike made a horrified, agonized sound. Allie's stony visage cracked and she looked down at the floor. Her entire body trembled. 

"Allie...." Leo began. 

Her body stiffened and her head snapped back up. "There's only one thing you want to hear. Only one thing that'll fix this." She unbuckled the heavy pouch-covered belt. She unwound it from her waist. She bundled it together with the Ronin's hood and heaved it at Leo's chest. The blue-masked Turtle caught it and stared at her in confusion. "I quit." 

"You can't!" Vinnie yelled. 

Allie continued staring at Leo's face. "I'll go sit and wait for my brother to die. Then I'll take his place in Japan." She turned and marched to the stairs. Ryan decided discretion was the better part of valor, and vaulted over the handrail to the floor. Raph stepped back and tried to pull Mike with him. The orange-masked Turtle shook his brother's hand off and reached for Allie as she passed. She looked at him. The bleak, lost expression begged for comfort, yet the rage in her stormy eyes blocked access. But he still reached out. "Maybe if I'm lucky, they'll kill me and put me out of my misery!" She ran up the stairs and leaped into the elevator. 

Mike's outstretched hand curled into a fist as he turned away. Ryan blinked. He thought he saw something glistening under Mike's bandanna. 

The room remained stunned. "Three months!" Mona yelled over the elevator. "Three months of convincing her she wasn't as evil as the Shredder!" Her thick, green tail slashed angrily on the floor as she stalked up to Leo. "Three months to make her pick those things up again. And you destroy it in less than three days! That has to be a record!" She pushed past him. "You should've let the Shredder kill her. That would've been merciful!" She stormed out through the stairwell door. 

Leo sighed. "Mike, will you go talk to Allie?" 

"No," he answered hoarsely. "She's not mad at me." 

"Whatcha mean _no_?" Raph demanded. "You always fix it when she goes nuts." 

"And you guys keep treating her like this! Like she has nothing to contribute. Even Vinnie saw how stupid it is." The white-furred Martian looked embarrassed about suddenly getting tossed into the debate. 

"I wouldn't think you'd want to see her get hurt," Leo interjected. 

"D'uh! I hate it. I hate seeing my own brothers do it to her even more." Mike pointed to the belt and hood still in Leo's hands. "Did you ever think that she might not have put that stuff on if you had gave her a chance?" He didn't wait for an answer, stormed past Leo, and banged out the stairwell door. 

"Nothing I hate worse than landing in the middle of a soap opera." Tala glared at everyone in the room then turned and dropped herself on her couch. 

"No one asked you for your comments," Raph snapped. 

"Look, I don't have to put up with your attitude. Get on my nerves and I'll just shoot you." 

"Let it go, Raph." Leo said wearily. He left through the stairwell too, carrying the Ronin's equipment with him. Raph, muttering to himself, banged out after him. 

Vinnie sighed as Throttle and Charley slowly released him. "You know, a mouse could get the feelin' you don't trust me." 

Charley flexed her fingers that had been clamped around his green bandoleers. "That's 'cause we don't." 

"Very funny, Charley-girl." He plopped down next to Tala. 

Ryan couldn't see the look she shot him, but her tone was icy. "You're not running off to comfort her?" 

Vinnie glanced around the room, his face and mask twisted into a what-did-I-miss expression. "That's Mike's job and he's got his work cut out for him." 

"Well, you were awfully eager to jump in the middle of it." Tala's arms folded over her chest. 

"That's 'cause he wasn't being fair! She didn't endanger anybody. Hell, she got in and out with way less mess than we make. And she didn't even hit Limburger. And Leo wasn't lettin' her defend herself at all." 

"Then I guess she made quite the impression." 

"Not as big as you." 

"Why, 'cause I have a motorcycle?" She jumped up and marched to the metal staircase. The catwalk echoed with her footsteps until she slammed her bedroom door shut. 

Vinnie stared up at the door and blinked his red eyes. "Can anybody tell me what I said wrong?" 

"Nada," Trash chomped on a piece of bubble gum. "Maybe it's PMS." She swung her legs around the chair she was straddling so Throttle and Charley stood in front of her. She looped his tail around her ankle. "If nothing else is too pressing, let's take some time out to play." She stood up and gave the tail a yank. The tan-furred Martian fell back with a cry of surprise. Trash, grinning widely, caught him in a role-reversed romantic embrace. "I've always been a fan of doctor." She trailed her fingers under his chin. 

"**Hey!**" The chestnut-haired woman grabbed Throttle's arm and pulled him loose. But Trash still had a hold on the Martian's right arm. He was bent back like he was in a limbo contest. 

Trash's hazel eyes blinked innocently at her angry face. "You wanna play too?" 

Charley's face reddened. "No! And you're not playing with my man either!" 

"What if he wants to?" 

"No, I don't want to play that game with you. This attention is flattering, Trash-ma'am, but I have a girl and I'll play with her. Will you give up already?" Throttle tried to stand up but both of the girls' hold prevented him from getting any leverage. "I think I hear Modo callin' us, Charley." 

"He is not," Charley snapped. "And you got a lot of nerve, putting moves on my man with me right here!" She tried to pull Throttle to her. 

Trash pulled him back. "A lot of nerve is how we survive, bitch. And when I see something I want I go for it!" 

Throttle's expression behind his dark green shades was panicked. "I'm not interested. How many times do I have to tell you that? I'm in love with Charley. So I'm really not interested! Let me go and leave us alone!" He tried to stand up again. 

"But you might like it." Trash glanced down at him with her blinking innocent and coy expression. 

Charley's flush faded to white fury. "Let. Him. Go." 

"You gonna make me?" She shook her black hair off her shoulders. "Don't make me laugh. I can break you in half one-handed." 

Throttle was beyond panic now. He struggled against both of them to stand up. "Don't you dare hurt my girl, you horny, little...!" 

"Sex-starved slut!" Charley yelled into her face. 

_Never fails. Why does she always throw herself at every guy she meets? And she never picks anyone she has a chance with. And damnit, why him? What does he have?_ Ryan growled under his breath as he grabbed hold of Throttle's jacket and pulled him upright. "Lay off, Trash." She released the mouse with a shrug. 

Charley seized the moment to ball up her fists and charge toward the unconcerned Trash. Throttle grabbed the norm woman by the shoulders and held her back. "Control her," he said to Ryan in a gravelly voice that left no argument. "Or we'll transport her someplace out of the way and let her wreck havoc there. Like Plutark." He herded his girlfriend to the stairwell door, ignoring her protests to let her pound Trash into next month. 

"He needs a date without the missus." Trash planted her hands on her hips. 

Ryan glared, not that it had any effect. "Just leave them alone." 

"I can't help it that he's cute." 

"Take twenty dollars and go buy a date! The poor guy doesn't want to be subjected to your raging hormones." Ryan took a deep breath to control his anger. 

"He's just playing hard to get." 

"Why can't you leave him alone?" 

"Cause he's nice to me," Trash pouted. "He appreciates my help and said so. Something you could learn. Girls like it when a guy is nice to them." 

"And this is how you pay him back, by making mess between him and his girl?" Ryan demanded. 

Her sharp face flushed. "You ain't got any right to mess in my love life!" 

"How many times do you have to be told _no_?" 

"What, you're not keeping track? I figured you'd have it tallied up somewhere." Trash crossed her arms. "You keep track of how perfect Allie is." 

"I do not!" Ryan felt his face go hot. 

"You're always going on about how great it used to be. News-flash, she left us!" 

"She had her reasons." 

"Goddamnit!" Trash screamed. "You're so busy defending her, you don't even notice who's left!" 

Ryan blinked, confused by Trash's ire and what she was trying to say. "What is that supposed to mean?" 

"You figure it out." Trash answered scathingly before storming out of the loft. 

The silence was finally broken by Vinnie's voice. "Well apparently Tala isn't the only one with that PMS-thingy." 

* * *

Raph surged into the spaceship. _If Mike ain't going to talk some sense into her, I will._ He stopped at the medbay door. 

Allie bent over the bed, smoothing out the blanket over Zack. "Sleep now, Zack. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here." 

"Don't leave me, Allie. Not like that." Raph's heart twitched to hear the boy's vibrant voice sound so frail. 

"I won't. I promise." She sat down on the pile of blankets and pillows in the corner once she was sure he was asleep. 

Raph steeled himself and marched to her side. "What are you trying to prove?" 

"Absolutely nothing." She sighed wearily, but refused to turn her head and look at the red-masked Turtle. 

"I think you're trying to make everyone feel sorry for you. Well, it won't work. Leo was right to tell you how stupid you've been acting." 

"I don't care what you think, Raphael. And I can't explain to you how wonderfully liberating that is." 

His white spark of anger was set off. "You stone-cold bitch. You go nuts, break Mikey's heart for three months, and now you're trying to walk away from everything?" 

"When the door is repeatedly slammed in your face, you're left with no other choice." 

"Damnit, Allie! Stop trying to sound like Splinter!" 

"Nothing I do makes you happy. Take your victory and gloat somewhere else." 

"Victory? What victory?" 

She took a deep, shaky breath. "All you've ever wanted since we met is for me to step back, let you handle it, break up with Mike, and get out of your lives. I can't be the Ronin and live with your hostility. So you guys have to handle all the bad things now. I can't be the Hamato heir and have a relationship with Michaelangelo, so you can safely consider that over. And when Zack dies, I'll go to Japan and be killed in the fight." She took another shaky breath. "Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not stupid. I have good skills. But I couldn't beat the Shredder. Fury won that one. I couldn't take Leo or Lotus, or anyone else who has dedicated their entire lives to learning the art. If I fought you, we'd probably kill each other. And the Oroku clan will send their best to the fight. So I'll be out of your lives." 

Raph growled under his breath, trying not to wake Zack. "That ain't what I wanted. You're the one who never worked with us!" 

"When did you ever want me to be part of the team?" Her voice sounded heavy and thick. 

"You never gave us a chance!" 

"What chance did you give me?" She bowed her head. "Please just go." 

"I'm not going anywhere 'till you understand!" 

She finally looked up. Raph was shocked to see tears running down her cheeks. "Please just go. You've been yelling at me for three years. Billy died and you started yelling. Respect Zack enough to stop while he dies." 

The tears had set him back, but he found his tongue. "You can't write Zack off like that. You can't give up hope." 

"Hope? Please just go. I've given you what you've always wanted. Now let me have what time I have left with Zack, please." She looked back up at the bed and burst into sobs. 

Flabbergasted, Raph could only stare. Allie never cried. Even when she thought the Shredder had killed Mike, her response had been vengeance-driven fury. Somebody grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the room. Still in shock, he let whoever it was drag him from the spaceship. 

Mona released Raph's arm when they reached the hanger bay. "Can't you leave her alone? Haven't you done enough?" Her damp, brown hair left wet trails on her shoulders. 

"She was crying." He glanced back up the entrance ramp of the ship. 

"What do you expect, her to be turning cartwheels over this? You and Leo have just jerked away everything that matters." 

He glared at her. "That's not true. She just has to stop pretending to be a ninja." 

Mona matched his glare with sparking brown eyes. "She's no more playing than you are. She is a legendary fighter for the Mutates. She was so good for those couple of years; Val Tech wants to get her as bad as they want to know who the Leader is. I would think even you could realize that's why they mutated Zack. And you saw her kill the Shredder. How can you keep denying her skills?" 

"Skills? She got lucky. She can throw a decent punch but she ain't all that." 

The ridge of flesh above her eye rose. "Oh, so only guys with green shells can fight crime and the other badness? How chauvinistic and sexist." 

"I'm not sexist! Allie shouldn't fight 'cause she's the last of the Hamato clan, not cause she's a girl. She could get killed!" 

"Yeah and so could you. Don't hear anyone bitchin' about that." 

"Cause I'm not the last of the Hamato clan." 

She folded her arms across her green and tan chest. "So that's why you don't think Allie should have anything to do with paying Val Tech back for what they did to Zack?" 

"They wanna kill her, Mona!" 

"And I'm sure Allie's feeling pretty violent about the situation too." 

Raph's hands clenched, but he kept them by his side. "Killin' the Shredder screwed her up, and you want her to go back to that same situation?" 

"She has to face them. She was starting to come to terms with being the instrument of the Shredder's fate--to put it poetically. And then you jerks screw it all up." 

"Call me crazy, but I don't think it's a very good idea to let her go in, face those people, kill them, go crazy again, and drag you off for another three-month adventure!" 

"Okay, Crazy. The only way she'll realize that she ain't evil like the Shredder is to face that situation again." Mona sighed, "Allie ain't like you or me. She can't see killing as necessary. You know that sometimes it's the only way to beat the bad guys. We'll probably have to kill Val Tech before we can be free. But I don't think Allie will do that. She tries to live by her ideals." 

That reminded him of something else that made him mad at both Allie and Mona. "She never told us anything about Mutates! Neither did you. And you expect us to trust you?!" 

"God, you are an idiot. She was protecting you Turtles, you dope! Val Tech has never been able to create intelligence in mutated animals. The Hounds come the closest. Every Mutate was once human. Allie knew once Val Tech figured out what you were, they'd stop at nothing to get you. Between the Mutates and the Shredder, Val Tech was staying out of New York. It was the safest place for you guys and Allie." 

"Yeah, well, you could've said something," he answered belligerently. 

"Allie asked me not to. I can't discuss Mutates business with anyone who doesn't already know. She said you were too busy with the Shredder to be distracted by someone else to fight. So I doctored my reports to Snake-eyes and kept my trap shut." 

"Your keeping secrets got Zack into this mess!" 

"Any more crimes you want to put on our shoulders?" she snarled. "No matter what we did, how we did it, or why we did it, it's going to be wrong, wrong, wrong! We did what we thought was best and if that's not good enough for you, to hell with you! Just leave me and Allie alone!" 

Heavy footsteps moved down the ramp. The large grey-furred Martian glanced from Mona's angry face to Raph's. "Problem?" Modo asked lightly. 

"Yeah, keep him out of the ship and away from Allie!" She stormed past Modo and back into the ship. 

The look in Modo's one red eye was puzzled. "Can't you be nice to anybody?" 

It hurt to see her storm away. He wished he could take back what he said. It wasn't her fault; it was his. He was the one who failed Zack and Donnie. 

_But she was the one using you? To keep tabs on the Ronin._ He tried to feel angry again, but his heart was too heavy. 

He looked back up the ramp. "I was nice to her and she used me. I love her, but she never loved me." He realized the mouse was still there with a growing sympathetic expression. "Aw forget it, who needs her." He slowly walked away, heading to the stairwell door. _You do. You do._ He ignored the echoing voice in his head. 

* * *

Modo shook his head. He hadn't wanted to interrupt their fight when she was telling him off. But when it sounded like it was going to get physical, he had to step in. But the Turtle had managed to keep enough of his cool not to start hitting, earning a smidgen of respect from Modo. But just a smidgen. He watched the stairwell door swing shut. 

_The whole thing, it's a misunderstandin'. And they ain't talkin about what they should be._ He brightened slightly with that thought. He never liked watching a relationship self-destruct from any distance. _As Momma would say, pride will drag you through the sand. If he really loves her, he should swallow it and say so. Otherwise, he'll lose her like I lost Stella._ He winced with the remembered pain. _But there was stuff Stella should've said too._ Frowning thoughtfully, the large mouse went back into the ship. 

The lizard-girl sat on the couch in front of the wall-mounted vidcom screen. Her hands rubbed across her broad cheeks as she sniffled. "What the hell was I thinking fallin for such a, such a, such a...." 

"Wrenchhead?" He offered from the door to the long room that held both the ship's lounge and galley. 

She turned to see who it was. Tears rolled out of her large brown eyes. "Yeah." 

Modo sat down on the other end of the couch. "How long have you been together?" 

"We had three official dates. Then I took off with Allie to screw her head back on. I knew that upset him, but I thought." Her lower lip trembled. "I thought we had something special. Or at least the start of something special." 

"You can't base anything off one fight. Especially when you're just startin' out." 

"He hates me!" She wailed and burst into full-force tears. 

Modo winced. There was probably nothing worse in the universe as a crying female except an angry one. But this one was suffering needlessly. "He said he loves you." He touched her shoulder. "He said he loves you." 

"When?" 

"Just now." Modo leaned back now that he had her attention. 

"He has a warped way of showing it." She sniffled loudly. 

"He also said you don't love him." 

"That's not true!" 

"But he thinks it is," he said gently. 

Mona looked straight ahead. She sniffled loudly before finally saying, "Hell, that explains a lot. Charley said he was blaming himself for what happened to Donnie and Zack. He takes his bad moods out on everybody. And if he thinks I don't love him on top of that." She sighed heavily as she wiped away the last of her tears. 

"He also said you used him." Modo steeled himself for her reaction. 

"Used him for what? Where did he get that crazy idea? Great, not only am I in love with an asshole, he's a delusional asshole." She threw her head on the back of the couch and gave a strangled groan as she stared at the ceiling. 

"Sounds like you two have a lot to talk about when you talk," he replied neutrally. 

Mona jerked her head back up and stared at him. "Talk? If he wants me, he can come talk. I'm not crawling back to him." 

He sighed. That was the reaction he was afraid of. "Don't make that mistake." 

"Mistake?" 

"I lost Sparks's mother and eight years of his life because I was too proud to go back and talk to her after a fight. And she never came to talk either." He took a deep breath. "Nothin's been planned yet, but we're gonna be headin' into a fire fight. Bad things happen and you'll regret it forever." 

Mona blinked at him. "You have a point," she said slowly. "But I don't think I can talk to him now. I mean the idea is to talk, not to yank him out of his shell." She offered a wan smile. Modo grinned back at her encouragingly. 

* * *

Charley didn't say anything during the ride on the dark, night streets to the garage. His bike automatically turned in that direction, and Throttle figured the more space between them and Trash the better. He tried to make himself breathe normally. He could feel Charley's anger slamming against his back. He sighed mentally. _It's not fair. I thought we had everything all worked out. Why won't she leave me alone? It's kinda flattering, but I don't understand what she sees in me. But then I don't know what Charley sees in me either. If she'll still see anything after this._

His black and chrome bike slowed down as they reached the pool of light from the corner street lamp angled to light up the Last Chance's garage bay doors. One of the large doors rolled up automatically, triggered by the remote Charley installed. He parked inside. 

Charley jumped off. She grabbed a ball-pin hammer and stalked over to the body panel that she had removed from the yellow van. She pounded on it a couple of times, then whirled back around. "Give me one good reason why I can't punch her!" 

Throttle took a deep breath. "She can break Plutarkian shrink steel bare-handed." 

She turned back to the metal and pounded some more. Throttle sighed aloud as he went into the kitchen. He fixed himself a tankard of root beer and moved upstairs. The wooden floor dimmed the pounding slightly. He collapsed into a chair at the table. _How long is this going to last?_ He stared at the descending foam. _Before the yelling, the blaming, the protesting that I have to be encouraging Trash in some way. Then the begging, pleading, cold showers._ He felt his ears droop. He could remember all too well the fights with Carbine over different girls. She even pitched a fit over Harley, despite the fact that it was so blatantly obvious that Stoker and Vinnie were the ones running after the mechanic/doc. 

He took a swig. _Carbine always had control issues. Face it, every time you'd fight, it was because she didn't think she was getting her way. And she always got so jealous._

Then she would cause a scene, claiming that Throttle was cheating on her or thinking about cheating on her or flirting with another girl, and Throttle was cut off until she was convinced he was humiliated enough. 

_At least she kept **that** private. I know Modo and Vinnie knew what was going on or had a pretty good guess, but at least they never saw me on my knees beggin' for forgiveness. And to her credit, after we made up was always fun. But there would always be another scene._

The ice cubes in his tankard suddenly shot to the top of the liquid. That was over and done with. He shouldn't have those fears anymore. But Charley could get jealous. He had seen it time and again between her and Vinnie. And that was when they were just flirting. Now she and Throttle had a relationship; things were different. And she was furious if the banging on the metal was any indication. 

_I can't lose Charley, I can't. Not to some stupid jealousy fight and not to death either._ He tried to think of how his life would be without her. In just three--almost four--years, she had become as integral to his sane existence as Vinnie, Modo, and his bike. The way she supported them both physically and emotionally; the way she defied any adversity; the way she worked with them or around them when they were too stupid to realize her way was just as good; the way she touched his body; the way she looked at him that made electricity dance beneath his fur; the way she kissed that made time stop. By all the gods, he loved all her ways. _I... I need her. She pulled me out of that black pit and I can't go back to it again. If I lose her, I won't come out again. Not for anything._

The hammering stopped. Throttle held his breath as his heart continued with the rhythm. _Here comes the fight._ He tried to swallow, but his throat was dry. _Please Charley, don't leave me._ He heard her footsteps reach the top of the stairs. He didn't dare turn around and face the staircase. 

Her hand gently rested on his shoulder. She sighed as she brushed against him and sat down in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his left shoulder. "Can I use the grenade launcher to hit her with?" 

He swallowed hard as her sexy scent filled his sensitive nostrils. He wanted to curl his arms around her hips and waist, but he was leery. "Don't set me up for blue balls tonight. I don't think I can handle it." 

Her bright green eyes grew puzzled as she looked up at him. "Why do you think I would do that?" 

"Carbine did a few times. When she was really mad at me." 

The beautiful face framed by her soft chestnut, wavy hair smiled at him. And her eyes and her full pink lips were filled with love. "I'm not Carbine. And if I don't want to sleep with you, I'll send you to the scoreboard way before you get hot and bothered. And I'm not mad at you." 

"You sure?" 

"Positive. I know you're not doing anything but being you and I trust you. I want to beat some sense into that little slut with the hammer, but I think I can control my homicidal impulses." She traced his chest muscles with her fingers. "There's been plenty of times I've felt like killing you three macho furballs and you're still breathing." 

He wrapped his arms around her, the need to hold her stronger than his fear. "I love you so much. If anything happened to you...." 

"Shush, stop dwelling on the negatives, Throttle." Her lips found his before he could reply. 

His arms tightened around her as he savored her sweet taste. They parted and he had to catch his breath. "You know I love you." 

"I know." 

"You're not mad at me?" 

She cupped her hand around his cheek and her fingertips combed into his pelt. "I'm not mad at you. Why do you think I would be mad at you?" 

He frowned, considering. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Charley pain. He wanted to give her water and pink seed blossoms for the rest of her days. But life ain't ever a straight road and if they couldn't make it easier for each other, better give it up now. "When Carbine got jealous, she'd always accuse me of cheatin' and then we'd fight to the point of breaking up. And then I'd get us back together. She would've probably killed me if there had been a girl throwing herself at me like Trash is now." He looked down feeling pensive. 

"Did she spend all her time trying to kill you? Cause it doesn't make for a healthy relationship and I'm not doing it." Her green eyes blinked. "Why didn't you just break up with her? She never trusted you." 

Throttle felt like squirming but couldn't with Charley on his lap. "So many of our people turned traitor, it's understandable she lost faith in us. She got it back quickly." Her expression frankly told him she didn't buy it. "I loved her." 

_Be honest. It wasn't just that. You figured Carbine was tough enough to survive the war and your curse. It was safe to love her. And she was sexy as hell._

Charley's fingers stopped petting. "And now?" She couldn't keep a trace of fear out of her voice. 

"I've always been a one-woman man. And now you're my woman. You're showing me what love truly means." He found her lips and kissed her hard enough to take away all their doubts. "I just don't want to repeat what went wrong with Carbine, that's all." 

"We won't. Now that we have that settled, can I go shoot Trash with the grenade launcher?" 

Throttle gave a half-hearted sigh. "As much fun as that would be, I do owe her for gettin' those Hounds off me." 

"I knew you were going to bring that up." 

He squeezed her in his arms. "Also, it's not a good idea to shoot your allies. You run out of them faster that way." 

The smile threatened to undo her pout. "Alright, alright. But I push the button to send her to Plutark." 

"No arguments here," he chuckled. The panicky edge of fear was dulled and buried by love. "Do you think it's safe to go back? I wanna talk to that Turtle, Leo." 

"I guess." Charley kissed him again and it took all of his sense of responsibility to kick out the idea of just staying put. She reluctantly pulled away. "It wasn't fair to abandon Modo, Vinnie, and Tala." 

"Nope." He took hold of her hand as he stood up. "Let's roll." 

* * *

The tears finally stopped, through loss of fluid not loss of pain. Allie rested her forehead against her very wet knees and waged war within herself. The need to lash out on the ones who had hurt Zack still burned. _I can't. I can't payback evil with evil. I can't._

She could hear Caine's kind voice echoing in her mind. _"To use evil to stop evil continues the cycle of hate. That cycle must be broken for evil to be stopped forever."_

"But what if the hate starts in your own heart?" she whispered aloud. Her throat tightened with tears that couldn't come out. 

Quiet steps entered the metal room. If Raph had come to continue the fight, he was going to be surprised. She looked up--fully prepared to tell whoever it was to go play in traffic--saw the dismayed but determined face of the young Martian, and lost the heart to tell him anything. 

Sparks's feet shuffled as he stopped near the pile of blankets and pillows Allie sat on. He thrust his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "MC let me hear what happened downstairs. I don't like it. You shouldn't quit." 

Under any other circumstances, this would be hysterical getting lectured by a pre-pubescent Martian mouse. "I have my reasons. And they hurt too much to discuss." 

"Zack wanted to watch you beat up those Val Tech creeps!" 

Her throat tightened. "Sparks, you do understand what's happening here? Zack isn't going to see his next birthday, much less who I'll fight next." 

"Only if he doesn't get help!" His grey tail slashed through the air behind him. 

The boy on the bed stirred. They both glanced at him guiltily. Allie didn't glance away and made sure her voice was low. "I can't help him. As much as I want to. I'll just mess things up worse." 

"How?" 

Allie sighed. She couldn't find the words to describe it to herself, how could she explain it to a child? "Leo and Raph don't like it. They never have. They won't work with me and we'll need harmony to free Donnie, Di, and the other prisoners." 

His disbelieving snort made her look up at him and he spoke with unwavering conviction. "They're just gonna hafta deal. You **have** to do somethin!" 

"I am. I'm here. Zack wants me here." 

The expression on his grey-furred face mirrored the one she felt inside her. "That's a cop-out. You have to fight for him; he's family. And you have to stop Val Tech and Limburger 'cause you hate what they're doin'." 

Allie cringed. "That's exactly why I can't fight them. I hate too much." 

"Huh?" 

"If I fight them, hating this much, I'll do what they would. And become the same monster they are." She took a deep breath. "Hate just leads to the dark side. Haven't you watched _Star Wars_?" 

Sparks snorted again. "You're afraid of killin' 'em. If it was me, I'd jump at the chance. Roddie always said that all fighters have a responsibility to stop bad guys before they hurt someone else. That's why we fight the Plutarkians. And Dad, Roddie, or the others aren't monsters for doin' that." 

"I'm not them. I can die for the cause, I just can't kill." 

"Any idiot can die for a cause." He blushed under his fur. She could see the red glow from his skin. "That's what Roddie would say. You don't know how much something means to you until you fight for it. And you have to keep fighting for it. You were fighting before; you can't quit now." 

"You don't understand. Hell, I don't even think I do. Maybe Leo and Raph can see what I can't. The monster I become when I put on that hood." 

"You're not a monster! If you were a monster, you wouldn't love Zack or Mike. And you wouldn't be worried 'bout turnin' into one all the time! Fightin' to get those other guys out will be just like the fight with the Hounds. Everybody hasta help. Otherwise, all those people are gonna get sick like Zack. And your other friends will die. You're not supposed to let friends die!" He scowled around his uneven buckteeth. 

Zack moved restlessly under the blanket. Tears pricked at her eyes. "But you can't help them by becoming a greater evil." 

"But you aren't gonna. Not now, not ever!" He stomped his foot in frustration. "Ask Zack. Ask Mike. They'll tell you the same thing." Allie couldn't look up at him. "Fine. Stay here feelin' sorry for yourself. I'm gonna help even if Dad does throw a fit." He stomped out of the room. 

Caine had told her something similar. _"You do not fear what evil can do to you. That is your greatest strength. For once you fear evil, you give it power over you. The fear that you have is turned to the darkness you fight and becoming that darkness. But it will not happen to you. That fear strengthens your inner light."_

Splinter had warned her of the dangers too. _"When you travel the dark paths you must always keep one path leading back to the light. If you do not, the dark will trap you forever and you will become what you hate."_ And the rat had been right. She had thought Mike was gone forever and killed. 

"Without Mike or Zack, I have no path to the light." The tears spilled out again, hot against her cheeks. "And the darkness is destroying what little inner light I have. I can't lose it all. I can't." 

But a cry for vengeance still hammered inside her chest. 


	19. Chapter 18: State of Confusion

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Eighteen  
State of Confusion**

Manuelo's head felt clearer, even though he was more confused. He climbed the stairs and kept one hand on the rail. He needed to get away for everybody else. Whatever the blonde woman--Tala--had given him, it had worked to calm his shaking and had eased his headache. He had finally washed off, and the scrapes and cuts were now disinfected and treated. He found the roof's access door propped ajar. He stepped onto the roof without disturbing the brick keeping the door open. Charley and Modo had tried to explain what had happened. He understood that Limburger teamed up with this Val Tech that mutated people. His family was in danger of becoming mutated, which had made the teenage boy in the medbay so sick. 

He let his eyes adjust to the night, poorly lit by the glow from the streetlights. A small light made a pool of light around the door. The human bikers and the turtle creatures fought this Val Tech, but had lost their last fight and had friends imprisoned in Limburger Tower too. He wasn't sure about the girl in black or about the argument. But he recognized the absolute misery of the round figure huddling on the roof's parapet wall. He paused; it wasn't right to intrude on heartbreak. He took a step back. 

The dark head turned slightly, and Manuelo could see a light-colored bandanna around the eyes. "You don't have to go, dude." 

He looked at the turtle creature--mutant, he reminded himself--who turned back to look down at the street. "If you'd rather be alone right now?" 

"I'm more alone now than I've ever been in my entire life. You stay, at least I'll have someone to talk to. Michaelangelo, Mike, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle." 

"Manuelo." He cautiously sat with his back against the parapet wall. "You really love her, don't you?" 

"I loved her before I met her," he sighed. "And there hasn't been anyone else since I saw her." 

"That is how I feel about my Serafina. I hope she's okay. They all better be okay." 

"These Val Tech guys are worse monsters than the Shredder ever wanted to be." 

"The Shredder?" Manuelo thought Limburger had gained a new nickname. 

"A former baddie of ours." Mike tapped the shell on his chest. "He's dead now. Don't worry, with this many heroes around, we'll get your family out." 

"Oh. Well, if anyone can figure out how to defeat them, it will be the Biker Mice. They've won fights no man could've won." 

Mike glanced over his shoulder at Limburger Tower. "I hope someone comes up with a plan soon. Maybe if we had a plan that Allie had to help with, we could make her un-retire." He dropped his chin back on his knees. 

Manuelo saw the roof door open. Mike chortled. "That's gotta be Eight. Nobody else has vibrations that big. Have a seat. Give us an update on downstairs." 

The massive black man, larger than the Pit Boss, plopped down on the floor with a grunt. He pulled a notepad out of his jacket's inner pocket and quickly wrote on it. When he finished, he passed it to Manuelo. 

Manuelo cleared his throat, found the right angle of light, and read the note out loud. "Ryan says it'll have to be tomorrow. The biggest drawback is not having any layout or plans of the building. After that what to do with the prisoners once they're rescued, is the next drawback. We can't bring them all here." He handed the notepad back to Eight, trying to swallow down the sudden tightness in his throat. 

"Anybody asked Allie what she's seen in there?" Mike asked. 

Eight wrote quickly and passed it to Manuelo. "She refuses to talk to anyone. Trash tried. Allie threw her Bones jacket in her face. Allie-Cat has given up." 

Mike swallowed audibly. "She's so strong." His breath caught in his throat and he paused until he regained control. "But she's got this thing; thinks that she's gonna hurt the ones she loves. That's the only thing that can break her. And now it has. And I can't fix it." He hid his face against his knees. 

"That can break anyone, no matter how strong." Manuelo sighed. "And desperados use it against you when they can." His heart pounded as he glanced at Limburger Tower. _Tomorrow. Just hang on until tomorrow._

"Either the baddies hurt us or she starts thinking she's goin' evil." Mike lifted his head. "Nobody can convince her she ain't. But it doesn't matter. Leo and Raph won't work with her." 

Eight grunted and wrote on his pad. Manuelo read it for him again. "Why don't they like her?" 

"Raph and Allie are too much alike. Both puttin' on a front to hide how they really feel; Raph goes angry, and Allie shuts emotions down. If they could just realize that...." Mike shook his head. "Leo's got big brother protection to the extreme. He just doesn't think Allie can help. That nobody can fight as good as us, so step back and let us do it." 

"Why don't you show them?" Manuelo asked. "Won't they listen to you if you told them what they do?" 

"No, they won't. Mikey don't know nothin. Especially about his girl. I love her so much, but it's not enough." 

"Damn them! Forsake all others. If you love her, your place is with her." 

Mike glanced down at Manuelo's earnest expression and then turned to gaze at the street again. "I can't give her a child. If Zack dies, Allie has to have a kid to keep the Hamato line going. If by some miracle, she actually won control of the Foot Clan dojo, she'd have to have a kid to pass it to. She's givin' me up 'cause of that." 

Eight wrote furiously, thrusting the notepad back in Manuelo's hands. "You're giving up on her because of that! Why do you think they invented sperm banks?" 

Mike pivoted on the parapet wall and stared at the bald, black man. "Sperm bank? We never thought about that." 

"That would solve that problem," Manuelo added. 

"YEAH! Back to plan A." 

"Plan A?" 

The Turtle jumped from the wall and landed beside Eight. "To be by her side no matter what." 

The stairwell door banged against the brick. Eight grinned at Manuelo. **Kids,** he had written on the notepad. 

"Love doesn't solve anything. Just makes the hard things easier to bear." Manuelo's shoulders drooped. 

**That's right. You've been through something bad before, haven't you?**

"Two years in the Pits." His teeth clenched with the memory of it. "Nothing will tear me from my family again. Not as long as I can stop it." 

**We will stop them from hurting them. That's our job. Your family is okay, probably. They'll be busy trying to figure out how Donnie works and haven't mutated them just yet.**

* * *

Modo took a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy. He paused in the hallway of Tala's ship. _Damn, I don't wanna have this conversation. I never wanted to have this conversation with any of my kids._

The Turtle in the orange bandanna mask bounded up the ramp and stopped. "What's wrong?" 

"Nothin' with yer girl, well, nothin' new. I gotta talk to Sparks." 

Mike winced as he tucked his thumbs into his belt. "The other big talk. Leave you to it. Just got an idea that I need to share with Al." He frowned suddenly and pulled a computer disk from a pouch. "Is somebody around here good at computers?" 

"Yeah, I'll find them. Go pull yer girlfriend out of her funk." Mike dropped the disk in Modo's hand as he headed into the medbay. Modo took a deep breath and opened the door to the bunk they had slept in last night. 

Sparks sat on the edge of the bunk, swinging his feet. His grey tail wrapped around his body and his arm completed the hug. He looked up. "Hey Dad." 

"Hey Son." He sat down next to him and wrapped his flesh arm around Sparks's shoulders.

"I don't understand! She should be fightin' the hardest for him!" 

"Ya don't know what she's goin' through. Or what happened before. Ya gotta cut her some slack." 

"Yeah, I guess." Sparks focused on the floor. "She keeps thinkin' 'bout the worst, though." 

Modo took a deep breath. "Sometimes you hafta think about the worst. So it doesn't shock ya as bad when it happens." 

The boy twisted away and jumped off the bunk. "But we hafta help him!" 

"We're gonna do everything we can, Sparks, but there's some stuff we can't do." Modo watched Sparks's face continue to fall and his own scrunch with sympathy. "Even if we get his friends out of Fishlips's Tower, they might not be able to fix him." 

"He can't die! He's my friend!" Large tears rolled out of his red eyes. Modo pulled him onto his lap. Sparks buried his wet face against his neck. "He's my friend." 

Modo squeezed his eye shut, but still felt the tears leak out. He tossed the disk Mike had given him onto the bunk. He held Sparks tightly. "He needs you to be a friend. Just keep being a friend." 

* * *

She slammed up against the wall. An invisible force pinned her armored body there. She strained her arms and legs against it, but couldn't move. The redheaded boy strode down the hall. He was younger than she was, and his face was twisted with anger. "What do you think you're doing, letting all those people go? After I worked so hard to catch them!" 

Tala bolted upright in her bed. Her limbs trembled with fatigue and her heart pounded. _Father, I **hate** those dreams you gave me._ She sighed and climbed out of bed. "At least it wasn't about Vinnie," she muttered. Speaking of the white mouse, he sat in the living room section below all alone. She wondered how long she had been napping and what had happened to the rest of the party as she shuffled across the catwalk and down the stairs. 

Vinnie looked up from her binder of Plutarkians on Earth. "You went to sleep?" 

"Still haven't caught up." She stifled a yawn as she fell back in the recliner attached to the end of the circular couch. She was nearly perpendicular to him. "Where'd everybody go?" 

"Throttle and Charley haven't come back from wherever they ran off to, Modo and Sparks are up in your ship, Ryan took his crew down to give their bikes a tune-up, haven't seen the Turtles." Vinnie counted them on his fingers and shoved the binder off his lap. "Look, can we talk?" 

She started to get that funny, fluttering feeling in her stomach. The one that made her feel like her insides were hollow. He looked at her and she glanced away, suffering from vertigo suddenly. "What about?" she asked brusquely, trying to hide her nervousness. 

Vinnie's scuffling feet were loud in the room. "Are you still mad about what happened on the _Fury_?" 

She looked back at him. He stared at his feet. "I hadn't thought about it," she admitted. 

"Then what did I do to make you so mad?" 

Tala sighed as the hollow inside filled with lead. "Something you can't help. You want every pretty girl that comes along. Surprised you haven't made a play for Trash." 

He stuck out his tongue. "She tried to rip me apart. A guy would hafta be crazy to take her to bed. And what every pretty girl?" 

"What about Harley and Roddie and Charley and Allie?" She made a face. "Do you like any girls whose names don't end in a vowel?" 

"You're jealous over nothin' with Allie. I think she's loads of fun in a sis-kinda-way and yeah she's pretty, but I don't want her. Mike has whatever she needs." He scuffed his right foot against the floor. "Charley and Roddie are just friends, and I ain't breaking up what they've got now. You don't steal a girl from somebody else, especially a bro. And Harley...." His throat moved as he swallowed hard. He didn't look at her. "Who told you about Harley?" 

"Stoker." 

His head jerked up. "Why are you discussing us with Stoker?" 

Tala clenched her fist at his tone. "There was no discussion. He just offered me some friendly advice." 

"How friendly?" 

"Stoker treats me as something more than a sex object. Maybe you should take some lessons. He's one of the few friends I have. And what I've been seeing these two days makes me think that he is right." 

Vinnie's red eyes narrowed. "Oh? And what did he say?" 

"That I'm likely to take this more seriously than you. But that doesn't matter." She shook her fist to release her fingers. 

He sighed and looked down at the floor. "What do you want, Tala? I want you and I'm ready to date you until you're ready. I've never made that much of a commitment to anyone else." 

Her heart pounded again. "What makes you think I want a commitment like that?" 

"All girls want commitments. So how big of one do you want?" 

She couldn't face him. _What do I want? I want him to stop chasing after everybody else. If I actually managed to give him what he wants, I want it to mean something besides humiliation. I don't want to be used again._ "I want to trust you," slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it. 

"But you can trust me, can't you? I've never tried to hurt you on purpose." 

"I know that." She wished they had never started this conversation. How could she explain to this thickheaded mouse that he would never get what he wanted from her? Not if he was waiting for her to give it. "I just... I don't compare to those other girls." 

"You're right, you don't." Vinnie slipped off the couch. Her lip trembled and she couldn't stop it. He knelt next to her legs. "You're better than all of them." 

Tala looked down into his face and looked away. "I can't make you happy." 

His hand caressed her right cheek and gently guided her back to look at him. "Who wants a safe bet? The bigger the score, the bigger the risks. And you need those risks as much as I do." His hand crept around and rested on the back of her neck and in her short hair. He moved up. Their lips connected. Tala whimpered with relief as her lips parted. Vinnie's tongue moved into her mouth and wrested with hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck. That movement toppled her out of the recliner. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he fell back. 

She pulled her head back. "Sorry." 

"I'm not," he said breathlessly. "Awoo, Tala, I can't get enough of you." He moved his hand back up to pull her head down for another kiss. 

A sharp giggle interrupted them. Vinnie let Tala go and she rolled off of him. They both stared up the steps at Trash. "Aw, you two are so cute. Don't stop 'cause of me; I like to watch." 

Tala clenched her fists and glared. "I'm not part of a show!" She jumped to her feet. "And don't even try to make me one!" 

Trash held up her hands to surrender. "Chill, chicky-boo-chick. Not everyone is as liberated as I am. But if you want to hide, you should be in a bedroom." She stepped into the sunken area and sidled up to Tala. "I copped a feel when we were fighting earlier," she murmured near her ear. "Trust me, you'll love his ride." She smirked as she plopped down on the couch. "So are there no Martian women left or do you boys just like experimentin'?" 

Vinnie rolled on his side and looked up at her. "Yeah, there are some left, but none I wanna date. Wouldn't think you'd find something wrong with it." 

"I don't, but I do want some pointers on getting you guys in bed." 

"Get Modo drunk." He climbed to his feet and brushed off his fur. 

Trash made a face. "He's not the one I'm interested in." 

"I know, but I'm not doin' anything that'll give Charley the excuse to aim a rocket launcher in my direction. She'd do it too." 

She twirled her black hair in her fingers. "At least, he has a good excuse for not giving me the time of day." 

Tala sighed as she sat down on the couch. "How long are you guys staying in town, again?" 

"They can leave as soon as everyone is rescued and the partnership between Fishlips and Val Tech is busted up." The stairwell door closed behind Throttle and Charley. 

"Yeah, what he said," Trash replied. 

"And we're attacking tomorrow night," Throttle added. 

Tala frowned. "But we don't have a plan?" 

"Deadlines make the plans come faster." Throttle kissed Charley on the cheek. "I'm going to talk to Leo." 

"Okay, while you're fixing that, we're going grocery shopping." Charley looked down at the group on the couch. "Come on, Vinnie. You can help haul." 

"But Charley-girl...." He squirmed underneath the stares both Charley and Throttle gave him. "Okay, I'm going." 

"Good. Come on, Trash." Charley started leading the way back to the stair well door. 

"Huh? Why me?" 

"It's called earning your keep." 

The black-haired biker girl grinned. "I've never had a jealous chick ambush me in a grocery store before. This should be fun." 

"Don't worry," Tala answered Throttle's pensive expression. "I'll make them behave." She trailed after them, almost matching Vinnie's dejected walk perfectly. "How did I get caught up in this mess? Oh yeah, it showed up on my doorstep." 

* * *

Throttle watched the group leave and shook his head after the stairwell door was safely closed. "Trust your Charley-girl. She can handle that biker bombshell. And Tala's not in the mood for any crap," he told himself firmly, then cleared his throat. "MC?" 

"Yes, Biker Throttle?" the disembodied, electronic voice answered. 

Throttle wondered how many speakers and sensors Tala had hidden in her building so that the computer could always know what was going on and comment on it. But it was a good thing, because it made it that much more likely MC could answer his question. "I'm looking for Leo, um... Leonardo, um...." 

"I understand the request, Biker Throttle. Ninja Leonardo is on the third level, meditating." 

"Thanks." Throttle found him inside one of the partially remodeled apartments on the next floor down. The Turtle was doing a one-handed handstand in the middle of the living room. His eyes were closed and his body rigidly straight. "MC said you were meditating." 

"Mikey calls this extreme meditation. Lotus calls it showing off. And what Raph calls it isn't polite." The muscles in his arm bulged under his green skin as the arm bent. Leo sprang into the air and landed on his feet. 

_I've never seen anyone that bulky move so smooth,_ Throttle thought. _They don't look like much, but they're as strong as Modo._ "Did it help clear anything up? The extreme meditation?" 

Leo leaned against the wall beside the Ronin's gear and his own swords. He picked up the Ronin's hood between his toes and transferred it up to his hand. "I've managed break how I feel into two separate thoughts. I don't trust the Ronin. And Mikey is right about Allie." He stared down at the hood with a sigh. "If we hadn't made her stay behind all those times, if we had actually listened when she had something to contribute, she wouldn't have needed to put this hood on." 

Throttle rubbed his jaw. "Aren't we all on the same side here? Why can't you trust her?" 

"Okay, maybe trust is the wrong word. She has too much integrity to sell anyone out. But she doesn't take it seriously. And when the really serious stuff hits, she can't handle it." 

"She's been holding up pretty good considering it's her brother that was hurt." 

"You didn't see how she lost it after killing the Shredder. She had treated the battle up till that point as a big game, and lost it when Mikey almost ended up dead. How can I trust my brothers' lives to someone who can't cope? Or innocent bystanders? She just doesn't understand the responsibility." 

Throttle leaned against a support column for the ceiling. Vinnie's coping mechanisms drove them crazy, but you couldn't deny he didn't have any. Maybe Leo didn't know what he was looking at? "Maybe she does understand it, and is coping the only way she knows how." 

Leo balled the hood in his fist. "Running away isn't coping. When things get too hard, she runs away. She's using Japan as an excuse to run away. She's using quitting to run away again...." His voice trailed off as his eyes focused on something else. 

"Is that what Allie's doing?" 

"Yeah, I think it is. Damnit! The easiest thing to do is just let her do it." 

"But that's hardly the right thing to do." Throttle tried hard not to frown. "Or logical. She has gotten in and out twice without getting caught." Leo didn't answer. "It can be hard workin' with different methods, but just 'cause they're different doesn't mean they're bad." 

The Turtle grimaced. "I get the point. And I'd rather be in Donnie's shell right now than do what I have to do." 

The field specs slid partly down his snout. "What are you gonna do?" 

"Go convince Raph that we hafta apologize to Allie." 

_Finally, some progress._ "Think you can convince him before tomorrow night?" 

"Deadline for the assault?" Leo slid the swords into the scabbards on his back. 

"Yeah. The bad guys know we're comin; why disappoint 'em?" 

Leo grabbed the Ronin's gear with a chuckle. "Let's give 'em a fight they'll never forget." 


	20. Chapter 19: Trouble in Paradise

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Nineteen  
Trouble In Paradise**

"And your men were unable to stop one lone fighter?" The surveillance video Limburger had shown Val of the latest break-in by the ninja girl bored her. The costume was the only difference between it and countless other surveillance videos she had seen from Val Tech labs. Well, that and planting bombs and blowing the building sky-high. But she didn't understand why her partner was bothering her with this. Val watched the fat Plutarkian's reflection in the aquarium's glass before her. He continued scowling at her back. Losing the ninja hurt, and she couldn't resist the opportunity to watch his torment. "No wonder you've never been able to capture the Martians." 

Limburger slammed an empty bowl on his desk. "Capturing those marauding mammalians isn't the problem; keeping them captured is! Besides which, you're supposed to be handling that now." 

_He dares criticize me?_ She turned around slowly, maintaining her composure. _Betray nothing. Let him think he has the superior position._ "Whatever do you mean?" 

"Don't play innocent with me," he sneered. "We had a deal. I delivered you the tagged human and one of those turtle creatures, along with one of your former escapees. When are you going to rid this planet of those ruinous Martian rodents!" 

"The boy escaped," Val pointed out blandly. 

"Oh, is that what's stopping you?" Limburger set his hand over the breast pocket of his jacket. "Do I need to have him recaptured?" 

"Don't be absurd. The boy is dying." 

"So if that's not the issue, why haven't you done anything about those Biker Mice yet?" 

"Is that what's bothering you; the fact that you don't know my timetable? There's no hurry to deal with them." 

Limburger slammed both white-gloved hands on his desk. "What you don't seem to understand is that those freedom-fighting vermin are planning how to attack at this very moment. And they've teamed up with that ninja who has gotten in here twice!" 

She rolled her eyes, staying far enough for the vapors leaving his mouth to disperse. Nothing was worse than someone who couldn't stick with the current plan. "If they attack, they'll be caught. It's that simple." 

"And I'm endeavoring to explain to you that it is not that simple. It never is with those three. How do you think they've survived this long? The trap won't stop them." 

"Then I'll just have to make sure the trap is double pronged!" She stormed out of his office. _What a coward! All because a mere girl slipped through his fat fingers. A mere girl...._ BatWing had seen that Black Bones terrorist--Val felt her lips curl back--with the Martians. This ninja could break in just like her and was allied with the Martians as well. She smiled to herself as she got on board the elevator. "Clever, changing outfits. But then you always were a clever little bitch. It won't save you now." 

* * *

Di dipped the purple material under the running water in the cell's sink. She hated reducing Donnie's bandanna mask to a washcloth, but there was nothing else. Bathing his warm head, she wrung the extra water on his neck and down into his shell. He had a fever; she had treated enough reptilian/amphibian Mutates to recognize the symptoms. It was a bad one too. She left the wet bandanna on his forehead and unwrapped the bandage on his leg. The marrow sample wounds were a bloody red and swelling with pus. 

"It's infected, isn't it?" Donnie tried to sit up. 

Di pressed him back flat on his back. "Don't try to move." She took the bandanna and rewet it. "There isn't anything to treat it with." She carefully bit her lower lip so not to cut the skin with her fangs. If the bones got infected, she shook her head. _I can't worry him._ She knelt beside him again and pressed the bandanna lightly against the puncture wounds. 

Donnie hissed but kept his leg still. "I don't think that's gonna do much good," he said. 

"So you're a doctor too?" She smiled at him. 

He half-smiled back. "Somebody gotta patch up my brothers." His mouth drooped. 

She reached up and squeezed his hand. "They're okay. The guards haven't said anything about other Turtles." 

"Then they need to get off their shells and get us out." 

"They must be working out a plan." She rinsed the blood and pus off the bandanna, and brought it back to his head. "This place is more heavily guarded than a typical Val Tech lab." Her ears pricked underneath her long hair. "I think they've put more prisoners in here. More humans," she frowned. 

"How do you know?" 

"I can hear them. But it doesn't make sense. They didn't bring them in until after we were captured. If they're experiment subjects, they would have already been here." 

Donnie closed his hazel-brown eyes. His face looked odd without the mask around them. "You lost me after hearing them." 

She continued bathing his head, keeping the water away from his eyes. The heat still radiated from his head and she could feel it through the water-soaked fur on his hands. "It's okay. I'm just trying to think." 

"Oh." His voice sounded drowsy. "Keep doing it out loud. Your voice is pretty. Pretty like the rest of you." 

Di felt her face go hot under her fur. So many people had praised her medical skills, her brains, her leadership, but he was the first one to call her _pretty_. "I'm not pretty. People in charge are never pretty." 

"You're the exception that proves the rule? Why'd they get the humans? They can't have figured out how to make 'em like me already." 

"Right. I think they decided to make a human shield between us and those who would rescue us." 

"Are you sure?" 

"No, it has only been done a few times. I've reviewed the reports, but each group facing it has used a different technique to get around it." She sighed. Her back ached. She didn't want to think about this now. Donnie was ill, he needed her attention. But so did those innocent souls that were caught up in a war they didn't know anything about. All because of Tabitha Val and her father. _I hate them! I hate them both! I'm so tired of everyone depending on me, and they wouldn't have to if Val Tech had never created us. If my father had left well enough alone._ She closed her eyes. _I have to get out of here. My people need me, in fact and in symbol. And I can't help Donnie in here._

Donnie's finger brushed against her cheek. She opened her eyes to see him looking back up at her. "Let it go if there's nothing you can do." 

"There's nothing I can do trapped in here." 

"You look just like Leo when he can't do anything and it's not his fault." He took a deep breath and pulled his hand back. "But you've been helping me." 

"I wish I had the stuff to do more." She caught his hand and squeezed it. "I want to do more." 

"Mike always sings to make us feel better." 

"Does it work?" 

"He can sing pretty good. It's just his way of showing how he cares. And to practice." He sighed and caressed her hand. "I'd be happy just knowing he's okay." 

"I feel the same way about my people." Di held his hand and used her other hand to draw the bandanna across his brow. "I don't know how good I'll sound, but I'll try." Before she lost her nerve, she started to sing.   
  
**_I'll be there for you  
These five words I swear to you  
When you breathe I want to be the air for you  
I'll be there for you  
I'd live and I'd die for you  
Steal the sun from the sky for you  
Words can't say what a love can do  
I'll be there for you   
  
I know you know we've had some good times  
Now they have their own hiding place  
I can promise you tomorrow  
But I can't buy back yesterday   
  
And baby you know my hands are dirty  
But I wanted to be your valentine  
I'll be the water when you get thirsty, baby  
When you get drunk, I'll be the wine_**

She faltered to a stop. "That's all I know." Her face felt hot again. 

Donnie smiled. "Go ahead and sing it again." He closed his eyes. 

Her heart pounded almost too hard to sing. She swallowed and started again.   
  
**_I'll be there for you  
These five words I swear to you  
When you breathe I want to be the air for you  
I'll be there for you  
I'd live and I'd die for you  
Steal the sun from the sky for you  
Words can't say what a love can do  
I'll be there for you_**

* * *

Arkson sighed. He hated this duty. But all of the guards were too incompetent and all of the scientists were too busy analyzing the turtle creature. And the child was too important to the long-term research to allow them to damage him. He paced across the cell again, keeping the patting at a steady rhythm. The six-month-old boy latched onto the shoulder seam of the jacket. He made inarticulate babbles right in Arkson's left ear, but no burps yet. 

The blond man sighed again. At this point, they needed to hire a nanny or a nurse or something. _It's ridiculous, losing my valuable time to this infant._ Children had never held any interest for him. It was Dana who had to have one, and the brat killed her. What a thanks for bringing me into the world that was. 

The baby boy finally burped. Arkson laid him back in the crib with a relieved sigh. He activated the computer-controlled monitor and stimulus. The machine began to play the recorded voices designed to stimulate the baby's language synapses. He dimmed the lights of the cell, so the child would understand it was bedtime. The heavy door shut behind him. 

* * *

The men in the strange uniforms hadn't been in since they had forced what was left of the family into this steel box of a room. Nina rocked her little girls huddled in her lap. She guessed the men were guards of some sort. But this was America; they couldn't kidnap people like this in America. Had that Limburger man the Biker Mice had issues with hired them? She wished she had paid more attention when the Biker Mice had talked about him, but what did they have that he could possibly want? 

Serafina had finally stopped sobbing. She sat on the floor--no furniture at all in this room--looking for her future on the metal wall. Felipe had one arm around her neck and his thumb still in his wet, sleepy mouth. Nina felt a familiar pricking in her eyes and blinked rapidly. _Oh Manuelo, oh why? Why like that? Why now? What are we going to do now? Why did they take us? What do they want? We don't have any money or anything else._

"Momma," Manuela whispered. "Momma, is this the Pits?" 

"I don't think so." Nina hugged her older daughter tighter. 

Her lower lip trembled. "We should be in the Pits. Then the Biker Mice could get us out." 

"They might find us anyway." But how long would it take? Felipe's party wasn't until Saturday. They had been in here for almost twenty-four hours. Would the people who had taken them do something to them before Saturday? 

Isabel was asleep. Manuela pressed closer. "I wanna go home." 

"So do I, little chica. So do I." 

* * *

Val shuffled through the papers on her desk as she related the surveillance video and Limburger's reaction to it to Arkson. "Are you certain it's her?" He enunciated every word. 

She decided his astonishment was amusing. "Not quantitatively, but it makes logical sense. And then there's the ironic factor." She let the papers fall back on the highly polished, wooden desk and leaned back in her chair. "She'll fall into the trap the same as the Martians." 

"But she has escaped traps before. That Chinatown episode." 

She growled. "That fiasco. We were lucky the fallout wasn't worse." She reshuffled the papers again, and this time the printout she wanted jumped to the surface. "BatWing waiting outside? Show her in." 

He nodded his blond head almost inconspicuously, and stood immobile in the background as the creature strode up to the desk. 

She towered over the desk and Val, her wings folded toward her back. "Yes, Ms. Val?" 

Val brushed her red hair off her shoulder and passed the printout to the taloned hand. "There's the location of the fight between the Hounds and the Martians. I want you to go and find that Martian child." 

BatWing's right hand, the one without a bandage above it, clenched around the paper. "And the human boy?" 

"If you can get him, fine. If not, just bring the Martian. I don't want the other Martians to know he's gone. He's our insurance." 

"I understand, Ms. Val. That brat won't escape this time." The human/bat girl strode out with her head held high. 

Val smirked. "Maybe they'll get the prisoners and themselves out, but at the expense pf the child. I doubt that's the outcome they want. They'll surrender." 

"Limburger has tried it before," Arkson said. 

"True, but nothing around here is performed at peak efficiency. The Martians will be strapped down to a table so fast, they won't have time to react." She licked her lips as she fanned the photographs on her desk and stared down at the furry faces. "And breaking the strong is always more rewarding. Always." 


	21. Chapter 20: A Time For Trust

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Twenty  
A Time For Trust**

Leonardo found his brother in the first floor hall of Tala's building, counting off back flips. "I don't need anymore punishment, Fearless Leader," Raph growled as he landed on his feet. "I didn't mean to make her cry. But you know how she gets. I don't need you yelling at me about it." 

"That's not what I'm here for." 

The quiet tone stopped Raphael, and he whirled around. "Are we gonna get Donnie?" 

Leo took a deep breath. This is the part Raph was going to explode over. "We need Allie to pull it off." 

Raph sighed and sank to the floor. "And just how are we gonna get her help now?" 

"We're gonna hafta apologize." 

"For what?" 

"The way we've treated her for the past three years." 

"We didn't do anything wrong, Leo! It was too dangerous to let her fight." 

"But we shoulda found another way for her to help. It's her family with the blood feud. And she has skills; I should've seen that from the beginning. Her and Mikey did find the Technodrome all by themselves." 

"And you think an apology is gonna make everything all better? She's fallin' apart!" Raph pounded his fist in his hand. 

"But she's always put herself back together. Besides, what's gonna happen to Mikey if she dies in Japan?" 

"He handled it pretty good for these three months." 

Leo watched him carefully. He stared at the floor. "Because he knew she was coming back. What do you think would happen if the Oroku clan's champion kills her?" Raph didn't answer. "There's no other way." 

"Okay, you proved your point," Raph growled. "But I'm doing this for Mikey. I don't care about her at all; you got that?" He climbed to his feet and stalked to the elevator. 

"Yeah, I got that." 

Raph didn't say anything on the ride up to the spaceship. Leo didn't push him. It was pretty amazing he agreed to do this at all. But what if he was right and something more than an apology was necessary? Leo squeezed the Ronin's hood tighter. He would find a way, he had to. Donnie and Zack's lives depended on this. Allie would see that. And she wasn't the type who had to jerk people through multiple hoops before agreeing to the wisest course of action. All that would matter was their sincerity. He didn't know about Raph, but he was sorry. How badly had he hurt both Allie and Mikey because of his perception of what Allie should be instead of what she is? 

They could hear Mike's excited babble while they went up the entrance ramp into the spaceship. "It solves everything! And it's not my plan, so it's sure to work. Come on, what do ya think?" 

"I think it's a cold reason," Allie broke off when Leo and Raph reached the medbay door. "What? You've come to offer your opinions too?" 

"They shouldn't have any." Mike's upturned face was puzzled. "I haven't told them yet." 

Raph poked his elbow into Leo's arms, shoving the blue-masked Turtle more inside. _Yeah, Raph, I know I'm the spokes-turtle. At least, you won't start another fight with her._ "Actually, we came to apologize." 

"You two?" Mike's jaw fell open. 

Allie turned her blonde head away. "Apologize for being right? Save your breath." 

"You could at least let them try," Mike said. 

She continued staring at the bottom of Zack's bed. "You have what you wanted. Why can't you take it and be satisfied?" 

Leo knelt in front of her, holding out the Ronin's hood. "You can't run away from this." Her stormy blue eyes locked with his, but he steeled himself. "We're sorry we forced you to this path. But you're too good to quit now." 

"I'm not good." Allie's gaze shifted to focus on the metal wall beside her. "I'm a monster that only wants to hurt." 

"You're not a monster," Mike insisted. 

"Mikey's right," Raph inserted from the doorway. 

"All you want is justice, Allie, the same as the rest of us." Leo moved the Ronin's hood back into her line of vision. "This is what you created to get that justice. We're not letting you abandon it that easily." 

"Why do you care?" 

Leo took a deep breath. "You can't let a friend do something stupid, much less family. Besides, we need you." 

She looked at Leo's face, and he couldn't remember ever seeing such a yearning expression on hers before. "You need me?" Her expression clouded with doubt. "Or the Ronin?" 

"Come on, Allie. You are the one with the skills. The disguise you wear doesn't change that. Now are you going to help us or not?" 

She looked at Mike. He took hold of her hand. "You know what my answer is, babe. But it's your choice." 

She looked past Leo at Zack. "You don't know what's worth fighting for," she muttered. 

"Allie?" Mike squeezed her hand. 

Her eyes met Leo's. He couldn't read the expression they held. "Alright, Leo, I'll help." She took the Ronin's hood and squeezed it tight. "What's the plan?" 

"What we need the most help on." 

She sighed as she got up. "That disk wasn't any help at all?" 

"Oops." Mike jumped to his feet. "I don't think anyone's looked at it. I gave it to Modo." He ducked into the hall. "Modo?" 

Leo followed his orange-masked brother to one of the spaceship's bedrooms. The large grey mouse sat on the bed holding his son on his lap. "What is it?" He rumbled. 

"Sorry, dude. They think something might be on that disk." Mike shuffled his feet. 

Sparks sniffled loudly. "Disk?" Modo twisted around until he found it on the bed. Sparks took it. "Where'd it come from?" 

"Karbunkle," Allie answered from behind Leo. 

The kid wiped his nose on his arm. "Okay, I'll look at it. MC, need some help." 

"Yes, Ward Sparks. Come into the lounge." 

"Come on, let's get planning." Leo ushered his brothers and Allie out of the spaceship. 

* * *

Everyone was back in Tala's main room, and it was getting loud. They had shoved two tables together and found some chairs to go around. Charley sat in the chair next to Throttle. Everyone who didn't have a chair sat on the stairs up to the catwalk. Except Eight, he sat on the floor near the stairs, and Mike. The Turtle sat in a chair and Allie sat on his lap. Charley watched each speaker as they added to the circular argument. 

Throttle's fingers drummed against the tabletop. "Limburger has a transport booth. The more time we give them, the greater chance they all get away. Or send the prisoners out of reach." 

"And all it'll take is one stray missile to kill them!" Ryan kept glaring down the table at Allie and Mike. 

"Then we get them out first, duh," Raph said. 

"And just how are we gonna do that? They found us real easy the last time we went in." 

"Yeah, I remember. I was there." Raph snapped back at Ryan. 

Leo broke in. "We can get in. But we'll lose the element of surprise." 

"And you can't sneak seventy people back out," Throttle said. "No matter how good you are." 

"This is why I don't work in committee," Tala muttered. "This is just a big waste of time. We need to get in, take out the opposition, and get the prisoners out." 

Vinnie turned to her, confusion twisting his metal mask. "I thought you weren't helpin'?" 

"I changed my mind." 

"We can't go in there guns blazing! Bullets don't have names!" Ryan clenched the edge of the table. 

Charley shook her head. _This argument can last all night._ She glanced at Manuelo sitting at the other end of the table. He just stared at the wooden surface. 

"Yeah, well, we just need to bring more. Like Mikey said before!" Raph gestured down the table at the other Turtle and his girl. 

The elevator rumbled to a stop on the catwalk, and Modo and Sparks emerged. The boy mouse ran down the stairs, weaving through the Black Bones and Mona sitting on the steps. The large mouse shrugged once he reached the group, and vaulted over the railing to land heavily on the floor. 

Sparks thrust the papers he held into Allie's hands. "This helps, right? Look." He pointed to something on the paper. "I bet Val Tech doesn't even know that's there!" 

Meanwhile, the debate continued. "They found whatever opening Allie was using!" Ryan's fist hit the table. He glanced at her, but she was studying Spark's papers. "They've plugged it up by now." 

"Where did you learn how to read blueprints?" Allie asked Sparks. 

"A lot of my babysitters had to bring me to their jobs. One was an architect." 

"No place is break-in proof!" Raph slammed both hands on the table but stayed in his seat. "We won't get shot at as long as your noisy selves aren't following!" 

"Boys," Allie said with a sigh. 

Throttle chuckled hollowly. "What? You're gonna give the prisoners a crash course in ninja before getting 'em out?" 

Allie looked down the table. "Boys." 

"And what do you want to try? Blowing a hole in the side of the building and letting them fly?" Ryan turned back to Raph. "And if it hadn't been for us, you wouldn't even know where your brother is!" 

"BOYS!" Allie yelled. The debating males snapped their mouths shut. "We can fight together without fighting alike, right?" 

"As long as were aren't shooting at each other," Tala answered. 

"And as long as innocent people are getting caught in the crossfire," Charley added watching Allie. She was all business, shuffling the papers Sparks had given her. 

She glanced up briefly to gauge the reactions. "We have a better chance of success if we follow our strengths." 

"And just how are we supposed to do that?" Ryan crossed his arms over his chest. 

"Ninjas infiltrate; the Biker Mice dive in head-first; you Black Bones are somewhere in between; and...." Allie faltered looking at Tala. "What do you do?" 

"She frees slaves," Sparks answered. 

Tala glared at the mouse boy. "You have a big mouth." He shrugged with a grin. "I do a little of everything, but most of it centers around stopping the slave trade. Does that help you out?" 

"What would you do? To get the prisoners out? After getting inside?" Allie handed a sheet to Mike and he held it for everyone to see. "The prisoners are here." She pointed to a section of the blueprint. 

"Where did you get blueprints to the Tower?" Vinnie demanded. 

"Karbunkle gave them to me. Under protest." 

Tala narrowed her eyes. "I'd make contact with the leader of the group. Then we'd both take the job of shepherding them out. A group that size should have at least two shepherds." 

"They're people not sheep," Charley said. 

"Shows what you know. The shepherds herd them out, taking care of the opposition and guarding the back. But getting the shepherds inside...." 

"Won't be as hard as you're making it out to be," Allie interrupted. "Not if we use a coordinated attack. Ninjas sneak in and deactivate the alarms and specifically find Donnie and Di and go for up-close sabotage. That lets the shepherds come in to get the norms while everyone else pulls the opposition outside. Once the prisoners are away, the last group can move in for final destruction." 

"Yeah! Now we're talkin'!" Vinnie threw his fist into the air. 

Trash cleared her throat on the steps. "I wanna ride with the mice. Destruction, mayhem, and chaos; sounds like they're getting the good stuff." 

Ryan glared over his shoulder. "Give your hormones a rest! How do you expect the ninjas to get inside?" 

Allie pointed to another part of the building. "Apparently, they have a secret passage system running through the building." 

Sparks grabbed the papers and shuffled through them. "No outside exit. But it originates in Karbunkle's lab." 

"No surprise there," Throttle said. "The demented deviant probably wants more secrets than Val Tech is willin to share." 

"These blue tubes have an outside exit." 

Sparks looked over Allie's arm. "That's the aquarium tubes. He's pulling water from Lake Michigan." 

"It runs all through the building. It intersects with those secret passages here." She pulled out another sheet. "Even has an access hatch." 

"He keeps sharks in there," Modo pointed out. 

"You want us to go swimming with sharks?" Raph demanded. 

Allie looked up. "What are you worried about? You have a shell. I'm the one that needs scuba gear." 

"Jaws ate a plane!" 

"It's not big enough for Jaws," Leo pointed out. "And it'll be the only entrance not guarded." 

"Oh man." 

"That takes care of the ninjas," Tala said. "Now for the shepherds. The prisoners need someone they know they can trust." 

"I am going with you." Manuelo spoke for the first time. 

Charley frowned. "You're still injured." 

"It is my familia and my neighbors. They know me." 

"I better go too." 

Throttle turned to Charley. "You can't!" 

She looked at him. He refused to meet her eyes. "I'm a better shot than Manuelo and Tala's not a people person." 

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Tala muttered. 

"And the more norms involved in a rescue is better for the prisoners," Ryan interjected. "Less time wasted dealing with them freaking out." 

"It's too dangerous." Throttle studied the table. 

_Yeah, I know that expression. But I am just as stubborn as you are, my mouse._ "It's not too dangerous for Tala or Allie or Trash," Charley snapped. 

Throttle turned back to her. Anguish escaped from his carefully controlled expression. "I'm not in love with them!" 

"Um, I think they need a little privacy." Mike set Allie on her feet and stood up. 

"Good idea." Throttle grabbed Charley's hand and pulled her from the table. 

She let him lead her into the stairwell before yanking back her hand. "When is this sexist, chauvinistic, macho he-mouse...." 

His shoulders slumped as he turned away. "It's not that, Charley." 

"Then what is it? You guys get some kick outta making me look like a damsel in distress? Cause I'm really getting tired of being treated like the only way I contribute is fixing what you guys break!" 

"I didn't mean to make it sound like that." 

"Do I need to pull out the Masked Motorcyclist get-up again? I haven't rebuilt the bike yet, but you guys were more impressed with the catsuit." 

"Charley, this has nothing to do with your skills. I know how good you can ride and fight." He turned to face her. She almost regretted bringing this up, seeing how hard he struggled. He brought his arms up to grab her but stopped himself. "It's me. I love you too much to lose you." 

"Throttle." 

"I know, I know, it's a lousy excuse. A cheap shot." He dropped his arms. "But I've lost everyone else I've cared about except Modo and Vinnie and Roddie, and I can't add you to the list. I can't." 

Charley swallowed hard. "I feel the same way, Throttle. I can't lose you. And I love you too much to let you fight without me." 

"I'm not fighting alone." 

"That's not the point. You're asking me to trust you to come back okay, but you don't have the same trust in me. You don't believe in me." 

"And I thought this was going to come up about affairs and flirtin'." He sighed when he realized he couldn't smile. "You followed me to the bar." 

"To help! And that's all I want to do now." She rapidly blinked her eyes. "You can't do it all alone. No one can." 

"I know how much I need you, Charley." His husky voice was thicker than normal. "If anything happens to you in there, I don't know if they'll be any pieces to pick up." 

"You're withdrawing your protest?" She hugged him, laying her head against his chest. 

Throttle wrapped his arms around her. "I can't tell you _no_. Especially when you're right." He squeezed her tighter. "But if anything happens to you...." 

"You're more optimistic than this, my mouse." Charley grabbed his snout and pulled him down for a kiss. "Worry about bringing your furry tail back in one piece." 

"Yes, ma'am, Charley-ma'am." He kissed her again. "We better get back to the meeting." 

She sighed, but held his hand as they went through the door. Everyone turned to the door. "Did you two lovebirds work it out?" Vinnie leaned back in his chair to see past Leo. 

"Charley's going in as a shepherd." Throttle squeezed her hand as they rejoined the table. 

"You can use my bike," Allie offered, sitting back in Mike's lap. "It doesn't have laser accessories, but it's a heavy bike and has seen battle action." 

"Thanks," Charley said. She had worried about that. Tala was so possessive about her things, and she didn't have a decent battle bike since they blew up her prototype along with the cyber-bikes in Detroit. 

"What are the Bones supposed to do in this plan of yours?" Ryan aimed his glare briefly at Allie and Mike before redirecting it at the table. 

"The outside group," Allie answered. "You and the Biker Mice are the most mobile." 

"And we like the guns, the big guns." Trash aimed her fingers like pistols. 

"Can you control your impulses for just five minutes?" Ryan snapped over his shoulder. 

Trash stuck her tongue out at him. 

Sparks folded his arms. "And I can't do anything 'cause I'm just a kid?" 

"Actually, I have an important favor to ask," Allie began. 

"Let me guess, stay here and watch Zack. I can do more than just that." 

"I'll help you, kid." Mona spoke up from the stairs. "I'm no good at the kind of fighting they have in mind." 

"Too straightforward," Raph muttered. 

"How 'bout you stay and I go?" 

"No," Modo glowered. 

"Aw cheese," Sparks muttered. 

"Okay, we have a game plan, Freedom Fighters. Let's make it a battle plan." Throttle rubbed his chin. "We need communication between all groups." 

"Maybe we can put the Turtle Comms on your radio frequencies." Leo pulled a yellow and green box from a pouch on his belt. 

Smarts got up from the stairs and beelined to the electronic gadget. "Query on the housing situation for the prisoners once they are rescued?" 

"I got that covered," Tala answered. "MC, do we still have that downtown hotel in the investment portfolio?" 

"Yes, Mistress Tala." 

"You own a hotel?" Vinnie's jaw dropped open. 

"Not entirely, but I own enough to get my ass kissed by the staff." She got up and headed for the phone. 

Someone touched Charley's shoulder. She looked up, and it was Allie. "They've got this covered. Come see the bike." 

"You're not going to help them plan?" Charley felt her eyebrows knit together. 

"I'm not a leader." The small, blonde woman in black set the blueprints of Limburger Tower in front of Leo before heading to the stairwell. 

"But everything you just did?" Charley chased after her. 

"I'm a strategist, that's all. They would've figured it out eventually. Once they saw the big picture." Allie paused on a landing to let Charley catch up. "I could probably break into Fort Knox with the right info and enough time." 

Charley managed to keep up with her as they headed down. "And that's not weird?" 

"Zack and I are the last descendents of an ancient Japanese clan. Guys bred to be ninjas for generations. It's gotta come out somewhere." 

"So it's all genetic?" 

Allie shot her an undecipherable look. "We're all a product of the past. That's genetic and what you were taught." 

"Oh, so your daddy was a ninja?" 

"My daddy died when I was four-years-old, and as far as I know, had no idea what his birth family truly was. I learned from the streets of New York, the foster care system, and Skulls." Allie opened the stairwell door into the garage. 

"I'm sorry; I didn't know." Charley didn't think Tala's garage had ever been so full. Tala's Earth bikes and her 1965 Mustang, the Martian bikes, the Black Bones' bikes, and a dark-blue motorcycle that made her heart thump with familiarity. 

It was tooled along the classic Harley lines. The dark-blue paint job on the crankcase was barely pitted. The chrome gleamed, including the aerodynamic skull that rose from the front wheel's cover. The black leather seat was outlined with chrome studs. The handlebars were firm under Charley's grasp. She ran her fingertips over the crankcase. It was his bike; she knew them too well to be mistaken. 

"Skulls gave it to me," Allie broke the silence of the garage. "I couldn't pick it up until this year. Guess he left it when he retired. Your father built it, didn't he?" 

"Yeah." Charley cleared her throat. "Yeah, he did. You took good care of it." 

"I have too much respect for Skulls and the rest of the Black Bones. Why didn't you become one? You have more qualifications than anyone else." 

Charley looked up from the bike. "I think you have your Davidsons mixed up." 

Allie's grey-blue eyes watched her without blinking. "I know who you are. You're Chuck Davidson's daughter, and he was a Bone along with Skulls and Pete." Charley turned away and blinked her eyes rapidly. Allie continued, "I'm sorry what happened to him." 

Charley took a deep breath. "Please don't tell Throttle and the others. They... they don't know." 

"Wouldn't they understand?" 

"Of course, they would," Charley snapped and instantly regretted it. "But I promised myself a long time ago that I wasn't going to stress them out with my problems. They're doing enough." 

"It's your life." Allie moved to the bike and rested a hand on the handlebars. "My advice is to level with them, especially Throttle. Because I made a similar promise once, and it led to Mike throwing himself at the man trying to kill me. That's how he got the nick across his shell. And how I almost got him killed." The bitterness and self-reproach in her voice made Charley forget her pain. "Some things in the past must be shared." Allie shook herself and her voice returned to normal. "But it's your life and I have no right poking my nose in it. Just think about it, okay?" 

"Okay, I will," Charley said quickly. "As soon as this mess is over. Now, what has been modified on this bike?" 

* * *

Throttle leaned back in his chair. They had worked out the plan, amazingly enough. Tala had coerced the hotel out of the rooms and a shuttle bus. Everything was ready for tomorrow night. Charley had a bike she could use. His shoulders tightened. _Logic be damned, I don't want her in there._

A pair of human hands grabbed his shoulders. The fingers dug into the muscles. Throttle tried to pull away, but the hands didn't let go. "Relax," Trash murmured. "I'm good at this." 

"Relaxing around you is probably the last thing I should do." 

She blew a raspberry. "For once, I'm being innocent. Take advantage of it." 

What she was doing to his shoulders felt good, but he wasn't going to admit it. "So you can take advantage of me?" 

"It's not taking advantage if you want it," Trash answered. 

"I. Don't. Want. It." 

"Okay." 

Throttle blinked. _It happened. One too many blows to the head. I always figured it would be the cybernetic eyes to crap out first, but apparently it's my ears._ He looked around for someone to confirm what he had heard and realized they were alone in the bottom room of Tala's loft. "Say what?" 

"You're missing the sex of a lifetime, but I'm not going to rape you." Her hands pushed him forward so she could work lower on his back. 

His brain finally caught up. "You have to have an audience." 

"I have a reputation to maintain," she replied with a huff. 

"Why don'tcha deal straight with people?" 

Her hands stopped massaging. "Maybe because I'm tired of being the one with the shattered heart. Hell, you're from another planet, and even you prefer a norm over me." 

"Look, I don't cheat...." 

"Just skip it, alright? I don't need pity, I have enough of my own. Besides a little competition keeps everything healthy. Your girl will wring you dry tonight. Of course, not as good as I could." She patted his shoulders. "But you're too chicken to find out." 

"Damnit, Trash. Don't you ever quit?" Ryan let the stairwell door fall shut behind him. "We have a fight in less than twelve hours from now." 

"Did someone appoint you Mr. Killjoy? Or do you just do it for fun?" Trash leaned over and kissed Throttle's snout. "The offer still stands, Cutie Pie. Let me know if you want to compare." She sauntered to the stairwell door, moving around Ryan so she didn't touch him. 

Ryan transferred his glare to Throttle. "I should tell your girl." 

"I wish you wouldn't. Nothing happened. And Charley will have her grenade launcher." Ryan didn't answer as he turned and went back through the door. Throttle sighed. It was bad to wish for casualties. It was really bad. 

Charley came into the loft through the stairwell door. She glanced over her shoulder. "What pissed him off?" 

"Trash. Don't get upset. Nothing happened." 

"And it better not." She rubbed his shoulder and moved down his arm to grab his hand. "Let's get some sleep." 

He stood up and pulled her into his embrace. "So I get to be your pillow again?" 

"Unless you didn't like it." 

"No worries about that." Throttle assured before kissing her. 


	22. Chapter 21: Moving Into Position

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Twenty-one  
Moving Into Position**

Mona's tail lashed across the garage floor. _You'd think a few hours of sleep would get rid of this nervousness, but no._ She sighed. Allie, Mike, Leo, and Raph were leaving first to head for the water intake pipe. The norms in charge of the prisoner retrieval were heading out second to wait out of sight until the alarms were shut off. The Biker Mice and the Black Bones headed out last, to the fight that they might not all come back from. 

Trash kept fiddling with a boom box. The white mouse leaned over her. "Whatcha doin'?" 

"Do you wanna jinx this fight before we even get out there?" The Mutate tossed her black hair to the other side of her head. "Always stick with tradition, right?" 

The huge Eight made a throaty grumble in agreement. 

"So what's the tradition?" Vinnie asked. 

"Finding the proper frame of mind with a song," Smarts answered as he polished his glasses. 

"Cool," Mike said. "So what's tonight's choice?" 

"Choice? There is no choice. There's only one song." Trash hit play on the boom box. The guitar and piano slowly began, seconds before the singer. 

**_When you were young  
and your heart was an open book  
You used to say live and let live  
you know you did  
you know you did  
you know you did  
But if this ever changin' world  
in which we live in  
Makes you give in and cry  
Say live and let die  
Live and let die_**

"Not a happy kick-ass song," Tala commented. 

"Val Tech deserves to die." Ryan slammed the clip into his handgun. 

"I remember that song soundin' different." Modo scratched his jaw. 

"Guns 'n Roses remade it. It was a theme song for a James Bomb movie," Charley explained as the guitar and piano changed tempo. 

**_What does it matter to ya  
When ya got a job to do  
Ya got to do it well  
You got to give the other fella hell   
  
You used to say live and let live  
you know you did  
you know you did  
you know you did  
But if this ever changin' world  
in which we live in  
Makes you give in and cry  
Say live and let die  
Live and let die_**

"Now we're ready," Trash announced. 

"Ya know this stuff looks really good on ya." Mike helped Allie into the black, skin-tight, armor jacket. 

"Tala's already said I can't keep it." She fitted the center seam together and it sealed over her Ronin's outfit. "But at least I don't have to try swimming in chain mail." 

"Is a chain mail bikini that heavy?" Mike hefted the bag holding the scuba mask and tank over his shoulder. "Cause I'd really like to see you in one." 

"Right, and then I'll have to deal with a really weird-shaped sunburn." 

_They fall back into the banter so easily,_ Mona thought. _Like she hadn't run from him at all. Is it because Mike's heart is that big or because of love?_

The tan mouse and his woman seemed to have that too. Losing Charley would destroy Throttle; anybody with an ounce of sense could've seen that last night. But they had worked through it. Did that mean there was a chance for her and Raph? 

The red-masked Turtle twirled his sais. He tucked them back into his belt and pulled them back out again. Yeah, he looked like he was ready to talk. She took a deep breath. _Come on, Mona. You're not a chicken. You've handled being turned into a green-skinned freak; you can handle him._ She stood in front of the bench he sat on. "Hey, Lover Boy." 

Raph looked up at her, retort forming on his lips. She never gave him a chance to spout off. Her arms locked around his neck, and she kissed him with all the passions she had. Course, being a ninja, he probably knew a thousand and one ways to break her hold. Which made it all the more surprising that the only body part that moved was his mouth kissing her back. 

She pulled away. "Come back, okay? We have a lot to talk about." 

That registered behind his stunned expression. Before he could reply, Leo's irritated voice came across the garage. "Raph, are you coming?" 

Mona sauntered away, not looking back. "Yeah," Raph said quickly. "Yeah, I'm comin'." 

Vinnie snickered, arms propped on the red bike's crankcase, and trying to hide his laughter until they left. He straightened as Mona reached their group of bikes. "Man, that was too perfect. He practically forgot there's a fight!" 

Tala snorted as she leaned her red-and-black-armored body against her bike. "You better not expect that from me. You never operate at full mental capacity anyway." 

"I do to. Throttle, tell her I do to." 

"He does," Throttle replied. "But his full is everyone else's half." 

"Hey!" 

Charley rested her hand on Mona's shoulder. "He'll be alright." 

"The fight I know he can handle." 

She smiled at the flippant tone before going to Throttle's side. 

Mona moved closer to the stairwell door. There was a bench there to sit on. She watched Throttle hug his norm girl close. He touched the blue collar of Charley's shirt underneath the red leather jacket she wore. "Don't let anything happen to you." 

"Yeah, there's enough people to rescue without adding me to the list." She squeezed him back. "The same goes for you." 

"Right." He let her go with a lingering hold. Then two bikes peeled out: Tala's carrying both her and Manuelo, and Allie's carrying Charley. 

Modo was the first to break the silence. "You okay?" 

He stared at the garage door. "Why can't she stay behind?" 

"Charley's never been the staying behind type. And you probably wouldn't love her if she was." 

Throttle's frustration shifted to chagrin. "Yeah, you're probably right. Let's ride people!" 

The squeal of many tires and then they were gone. Mona sighed and got into the elevator as the garage door rumbled closed. She found Sparks in the ship's medbay sitting at the computer terminal. "They've all left." 

"And I'm stuck here where I can't help anybody." The mouse boy folded his arms. 

"There are worse places to get stuck. You could be needing rescuing." 

She turned to find the central hub of the computer surveillance program when his voice stopped her. "Mona, do you think Zack's gonna be okay?" 

She sighed. _Yeah, leave me with the hard questions._ "I think it'll take a miracle." His face fell. "But miracles happen, kiddo. We just have to help it as much as we can." Sparks offered up a ghost of a smile, and she left. Barring any medical emergencies, it should be an easy job. 

* * *

The water in the pipe was easy to swim through. Allie was glad she had taken the scuba lessons a few summers ago. She watched the green feet in front of her. She was the last in the group, which gave her more time to look around. Most of the offices were darkened. Not that they lingered long in the larger, room-sized tanks. The water flowed gently, just hard enough to keep everything fresh for the fish. The fish were varieties she had never seen before. The schools swam as one, deftly avoiding the new obstacle Allie and the Turtles made. Maybe they were tropical fish. The water on her hands and face was warm. 

The tube opened up into the largest tank they had swum into. She could see five floors that had a view into the tank. Leo turned making a swift jab at the top corner of the tank. The last tube, the one with the exit into the secret passage, started there. His brothers nodded. They pushed off the bottom of the tank and shot for the top of the tank. 

Allie paused. It was easier to let them go first than banging into their feet. She watched the office windows. No one rushed to the glass to see what the green blur was. The thin armor boots that had fitted over her combat boots rested on the tank floor She liked this alien armor: light, flexible, but still strong. She saw a grey mass move beside her out of the corner of her eye. 

She turned to follow the shape, and then wish she hadn't. It was a shark, a shark as big as Eight and a mouth full of teeth to match. It looked like a smaller version of Jaws. _A great white, that's what Jaws was. Terrific, why did I remember that now? And how in hell is it living in fresh water?_ Allie concentrated on her breathing. _Nice shark, good shark, go away shark._

The shark pivoted again. Mouth opened wide, it moved like a torpedo straight for her. 

_Shit!_ Allie moved on reflex. Her knees flexed and she shot above the shark. It charged through the empty water. She kept swimming up. All her weapons were inside the waterproof armor. At least, the Turtles were out of the way of the tube opening. 

The shark moved its mass surprisingly fast. It changed its angle of attack and charged again. Allie kicked harder. Her toe hit its dorsal fin. There was the opening to the next tube. She looked down. The shark had figured out to line up with the tube. Her face mask hit the edge of the tube opening. The seal against her skin busted and water rushed in, blinding her. Her hands groped for the sides of the tube. They were out of reach. She could feel the water moving faster through the tube, carrying her with it. She kicked harder. 

Something nudged her foot. Allie slammed her heel down with as much force as she could generate. It slammed into soft flesh. That flesh shifted and pushed harder back. She clamped her teeth on the breather. _Hafta breath, hafta._

The water direction shifted. Arms suddenly wrapped around her torso from behind. She fell out of the tube onto a concrete floor and against a Turtle. The torrential water stopped with a loud bang. "Chew through that!" Leo shouted. 

Hands jerked the scuba mask off. She wiped her eyes. "Allie? You okay?" Mike's hands landed on her shoulders. 

She pulled the breather out. "Yeah." She smiled into his worried face. Mike was in front of her. "I'm glad we're going out another door." _So who yanked me out?_ She looked over her shoulder. 

Raph shook his head as he let her go. "Man, you are crazy, trying to head kick a shark." 

Allie grinned as Mike pulled her up. "Well, you've never had any doubts. Thanks, Raph, I owe you one." 

The hazel eyes behind the red mask blinked up at her. His mouth fell open and he snapped it shut. His gaze moved to the floor. "Yeah, well, it'd be too easy to let a shark eat you." 

"We better get moving." Leo moved from the metal, aquarium tube door to look down the concrete hall they were inside. "We have to find the access panel for the alarm system. According to the blueprints, there's supposed to be one in this hall." 

Mike grabbed Allie's hand and they headed down the hall. "I'm glad you're not shark food." 

"Me too." She scanned the walls for the panel. 

"Found it," Raph called out from the other end of the hall. She and Mike reached Raph in time to watch him pull out the wires from the grey, metal box. He dropped the broken wires and shook the sparks away from his hand. "No more alarm." 

Leo pulled out his Turtle Comm. "Tala, we've deactivated the alarm system. Heading up to the prison level now." 

"Roger," Tala answered. 

"We've got two floors to go up." Leo tucked away the Turtle Comm and prodded them to the stairs. 

* * *

Donnie ached all over. He just wanted to curl up and sleep. But the door opening prevented that. He tried to sit; his arms strained to hold his weight. His arms never trembled like this before. The guards stood in the door. Were there two or four? 

"Let's get the turtle." 

Di blocked his view of the door. Her long, golden hair fell past her shoulder blades and only hid about half of the crusty, red stripes on her back. "You can't. He's sick." 

"Get out of the way, cat bitch!" 

"No! I won't let you hurt him!" 

Donnie could feel the vibrations from the running feet. Di tried to brace herself but too late. He heard the blow. She flew across the cell and landed roughly on the floor. "Di!" He could barely recognize his own croak. He tried to go to her. But the guards grabbed his arms and hauled him to his feet. The room suddenly rotated and vanished. 

Blinking his eyes, Donnie realized he must've passed out. _That was really weird. Not the same as getting knocked out at all._ He tried to move his arm. He was strapped down in the lab again. 

"Fascinating." A bloated man's face leaned over him. The smell made Donnie gag. The sewers smelled better. "It doesn't look like much." 

"It must be ill." Donnie recognized the voice of Di's father. Arkson continued, "Information we learn may be compromised at this point." 

The scary, red-haired lady looked down at him. "We'll just have to be more careful with the next one we get." 

_They don't have my brothers._ Donnie breathed deeply with relief. He felt his anger giving him strength. "You... won't... hurt... them." 

"And you're going to stop us?" The lady yawned. "I've heard it all before. From freaks better capable of movement than you are. And I'm still here." She rubbed the top of his head with a rubber-gloved hand. "Defiance is so amusing." 

A shrill noise made Donnie's head pound harder. The really fat man pulled a walkie-talkie thing out of the pocket of his purple suit jacket. "What is it?" He barked into it. The reply was too far away for Donnie to make out the words. "What do you mean _it's happened again_?" The fat, smelly man yelled back. 

* * *

Manuelo found his hands sweating. He rubbed them on his pants legs. His gun was still holstered on his belt. Vinnie's chica--or would-be chica--sat in front of him on her light-blue Martian bike. He had thought Vinnie had a thing for Charley, but Modo had explained it was her and Throttle now. They were happy and scared. It reminded him of how it was between him and Serafina when he came home from the Pits. _Don't think of that,_ he told himself fiercely. _You must be ready to fight._

The bikes were parked in the shadows a block away from Limburger Tower. Tala still had on her grey helmet shaped just like the ones the Biker Mice wore. Why not? She had a bike just like theirs. She pressed some buttons on it and stared at the Tower. 

Charley sat astride a big, dark-blue bike. The grenade launcher had been rigged to hang onto the side and she kept checking to make sure it was still there. No one was talking. Maybe the girls didn't have the same easy banter the Biker Mice had. 

"Roger." Tala sat up straighter. "That was Leo, and the energy signature around the door just vanished." She hit the buttons on her helmet. "It's go time." 

"Right." Charley gunned her borrowed bike. 

"Sí." Manuelo gripped the motorcycle seat behind his legs. 

Tala revved her bike. The laser cannons emerged from their hiding places. They roared to the Tower. Guards scrambled next to the side door they had picked as the entry point. Tala fired. The explosion knocked the guards and the door out of the way. "Show 'em what we got, Hot Stuff!" 

The light-blue bike beeped enthusiastically. It leaped onto the stairs and Charley followed. 

Manuelo had to wrap his arms around Tala's waist to keep from falling off. "Pardon." 

"Just hang on. This stairwell's too narrow for flight mode. Throttle, we're inside." The last was aimed into her helmet's microphone. 

"These bikes fly too?" 

"Hot Stuff does." Tala didn't bother hiding the note of pride. "I bet the mouse scouts are sticking with the Martian bike wings or something else Charley has cooked up." 

"How did you get a Martian motorcycle?" Manuelo realized he blurted the question a second too late. "I am sorry, I did not mean to pry." 

Tala was quiet for a moment. "It's okay. We rescued each other from a lifetime of involuntary servitude. You know about that, right?" 

"Sí, only I needed Martian mice to help me." 

"It was a long time before I met any Martians capable of helping themselves much less others." Before he could ask what she meant by that, laser fire rained down on them. Tala returned it with gusto. "Watch it, Charley! We've got incoming!" 

* * *

BatWing had found a hiding place in a deserted building across the street from the only occupied building on the block. She watched with binoculars and saw the turtle creatures, the Martians, Mutates, and humans inside the windows. She recognized preparations for an attack. _The silly fools,_ she thought. Ms. Val was ready for them. Why didn't they understand the inevitable and stop fighting it? Who wanted to remain a puny norm when Val Tech offered so much more? They deserved to be eradicated to make room for their replacements. 

She napped during the day. They'd mount their attack at night. Well, so would she. The dark finally came and the motorcycles roared down the street. BatWing opened the window and flew. She avoided the top two floors. Those windows were bricked up. Her talons found purchase on the old bricks. The window she landed next to opened into a dark bedroom. Her talons had no problem inserting into the wooden sash and shoving the window open. She pulled her wings close to her body and entered. 

The bedroom was colored in an icy blue. BatWing admired the plush carpeting and the satin comforter on the bed, but decided only a total bitch queen could feel comfortable in this room. The bathroom and closet doors were open. She opened the third door and let her eyes adjust to the light. 

The outer room was the huge loft and empty. No, the child would be in the safest part of the building. The highest point, the unobservable top two floors. She strode across the catwalk. The elevator shaft had a grillwork gate across it. "How quaint." She tore it open. The elevator was above her. She scowled and pressed the button. 

You never used an elevator in an emergency or in a fight. Too convenient a trap. So when the elevator reached the floor, BatWing just used it as another door and climbed out of the roof access hatch. Then the elevator cables became her ropes. She found the next and the last gate conveniently opened. She swung her body gracefully out of the elevator shaft and landed on her feet. Her left arm screamed with throbbing pain, but she ignored it. That little brat had wounded her, not stopped her. 

"Well, well, well." A spaceship was parked inside the top two floors, a sleek, black machine from straight out of _Star Wars_ with _More Hot Stuff_ painted on it in white. "The owner sure has a high opinion of himself. Now where is that little rat hiding?" 

"My dad wouldn't like you callin' me a rat." The four-foot-tall Martian walked calmly down the ramp, leaving the safety of the ship. The purple pistol in his right hand gave him that assurance. 

"But daddy isn't here." BatWing laughed. "He's off to get himself captured like the rest of those heroes." 

"And I'm the bait to make sure they stay captured," the grey mouse countered. 

"Smart kid. Too bad you won't get to grow up to use your brains." BatWing took stock of the hanger. The ship, the elevator shaft, a door probably to the stairs, barrels, and crates. "You might as well surrender now." She started moving toward the barrels. 

"Fat chance, Batty." He continued moving to keep her in sight. He was almost clear of the ship. 

She stopped in front of the barrels and pulled out her gun. "What's in here? Spaceship fuel? I bet it's really, really flammable." 

His gun wavered slightly. 

Hers didn't. The laser shot brushed against his shoulder. The boy mouse screamed and dropped his gun. He tried to save it. But another shot sent it skittering out of reach of his lunging body. "Too bad daddy never taught you how to take advantage of getting the drop on someone." She strode to him, and yanked him into the air by his T-shirt. "Now I think it's payback time." Her left hand curled into a fist, and backhanded the boy across the face. 


	23. Chapter 22: Let's Kick Some Shell!

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Twenty-two  
Let's Kick Some Shell!**

Trash drummed her fingers against Smarts's back. It annoyed the redheaded brainiac, but her singing annoyed him worse so he didn't say anything. She finally gave up on it, and held his shoulders while hanging over the bike to see around his big head. A line of dune buggies and guards blocked the front doors. "This waiting totally sucks!" 

"But this is what you wanted to do." Ryan scowled at her before turning back to the building. 

She blinked her eyes rapidly. Just once, just before a fight, could he just pretend she was worthwhile? But no, she wasn't perfect like Allie Cat. She ground her teeth. _You know he's an asshole. But it doesn't change anything._ She sighed. 

Smarts glanced over his shoulder. "Are you anxious?" 

"Live and let die, man." _And Ryan can't wait until I do._

"Tala's group is inside." Throttle revved his bike. "Let's rock...." 

"**And ride!**" The other two mice roared after him. 

"Let's go!" Trash prodded Smarts with her knee. She lifted the rocket launcher to her shoulder and fired. 

The missile exploded just in front of the door, scattering dune buggies like leaves. "Too close to the building," Ryan's voice buzzed in her ear. "We hafta draw them out." 

The dune buggies that could still move roared after the bikes. Vinnie's insane laughter was audible over the engine roars. "Can't get enough macho mouse action!" 

"There's a sucker born every minute," Modo yelled back using his laser cannons to punctuate. 

"And Limburger manages to hire all of them," Throttle added. His rocket made a dune buggy land on top of another one. 

"Every moron deserves a paycheck!" Trash howled with glee. The rocket launcher sent another missile into the middle of the street. Dune buggies and asphalt pieces scattered. 

"It's working," Ryan said via the helmet's earphone. 

Trash turned as Smarts used a dune buggy as a ramp. More guards and dune buggies were running out of the building. "Playtime," she grinned. 

* * *

Di hugged her knees to her chest. She had failed. Why Donnie? Why now? Bad enough they had taken her humanity, her dreams for the future, and left her responsible for so many lives; now they were going to take him too? She tried to dry the wet fur on her cheeks with the fur on her knees. 

She heard metal clang on metal. A body hit a wall with a thud. Running feet echoed in the hall. A female voice started yelling, "Di? Donnie? Di? Donatello?" 

Di jumped to her feet and pounded on the cell door. "Here! In here!" 

The door was finally opened by a woman in a black jumpsuit and ski mask with a fine mesh over the eye holes. "Turn your heads, boys." She called over her shoulder. She tugged at the collar, and the jumpsuit split down the middle. Di realized it was actually a jacket and pants as she shrugged out of it. "Non-combat, you need this more than me." She wore a loose black shirt over a tight black leotard underneath. 

Di took the offered jacket. It was made of light, rigid, but flexible material. The girl was Allie in her Ronin disguise. "Why are you here?" she blurted. 

"Philosopher now, too?" Allie peeled off the armor pants and passed them. She hissed when Di turned her back. "The bastards! What else did they do?" 

"Nothing to me. Donnie was the one they hurt." Di pulled the jacket on, gritting her teeth. But it closed without catching her fur. She took the pants and pulled them on over her shorts. They had boots built into them. The seam between the pants and jacket sealed. 

"Where's Donnie?" Raph's brusque voice demanded. Allie whirled around, but his back was turned. 

Di swallowed down the choking in her throat. "They took him, probably back to the lab. He's very sick; I don't think he can take much more." 

The three Turtles bristled. "If they've really hurt him," Raph said slowly. 

"I won't be able to tell him he was wrong about my dream," Mike interrupted. 

"I'm ready," Di told them. 

"Good." Leo drew out one of his katanas as he turned and passed it to Allie. "You fight best with this." 

Allie took the sword from him. "And I thought you never noticed." Her fist tightened on the hilt. 

"Some things you can't hide. Which way to the lab?" 

"What about the other people?" Di gestured at the other cells. 

"We're not in charge of that part of the operation. And we have to get Donnie before anything else." 

Di frowned, but Leo looked unmovable on the issue. Her ears picked up roaring bike engines and firing guns. "Alright, this way." Leo walked beside her and the others fell behind them. 

"What dream?" Allie asked Mike. 

"Oh, I dreamed that you were helping us break into the skyscraper owned by an alien. Donnie said I read too many comic books." He chuckled. 

"Did we win?" 

"Dunno, I woke up." 

Di reached the elevator. "Donnie said they took him up on an elevator the first time." 

"Let's go, people." Leo pulled out his other katana. Raph twirled his sais. Mike let his nunchucks dangle in his hands. The elevator doors opened. 

* * *

"Crap!" Mona slammed both her fists down on the console. The monitor clearly showed Sparks held up in the air by a Vex. "He said he could handle it! What's wrong with me, listening to a kid?" 

"Do you wish for that question to be answered?" The computer asked. 

"No! Is there another exit out of this ship?" 

"The cargo hold has a lift. There is also a roof access hatch in the lounge." 

"Good, that'll work." Mona ran out of the two-seater cockpit. 

"Please hurry," MC continued. "Mistress Tala and Biker Modo would be most displeased if Ward Sparks was injured." 

"Now that's an understatement." She ran into the long room across the hall from the medbay. She jumped on top of the table and started unscrewing the hatch door in the ceiling. It finally released with a hiss of escaping air. The handholds molded into the metal continued across the ship's outer surface. She crawled along them. 

The Vex still had Sparks. He pounded his fists against her arm, not able to reach her head. She laughed. "Little boy doesn't know how to fight without his gun and teeth, does he?" 

She didn't see his tail worm into the gun holster on her belt. "I think I do okay," Sparks answered and the red laser pistol fired. 

The bolt hit her foot and she screeched. Mona slammed her hands to her ear holes. Sparks covered his ears with his hands. The Vex stopped screeching and flung the mouse boy into the barrels. The top row fell over with him. 

"Pick on someone your own size!" Mona threw herself off the ship. The Vex turned around in time to catch a full body tackle. The bat-girl slammed against the reinforced concrete floor. Mona climbed to her feet shakily. The Vex was out cold. She was also a good foot taller than Mona was. "Maybe you'll have a better chance. Sparks?" Mona moved toward the barrels. 

"I'm okay. Those barrels were empty." He pushed one out of the way, and it rolled across the hanger bay as he limped around the rest. He favored his right leg and blood was caught in the fur around his mouth. "Mostly okay," he winced as he tested his right leg. 

"As long as you're still breathing." Mona tossed him the Vex's red laser pistol. He caught it against his chest. "Shoot her if she comes to. I'm looking for rope or something." 

"Mistress Tala has restraints in the cargo hold," MC announced over the loudspeakers. 

"Yipee for Mistress Tala. Why didn't she hook you up to some guns outside, so you could shoot people before they break in?" Mona trudged underneath the ship until she found the large section of the hull that was flat on the ground. Standing on that carried her elevator-style back into the ship. 

"She is afraid that someone might find them while we were off planet and put them to evil use. The restraints are in the second cabinet from the transport booth." 

The cargo hold was the largest room on the ship Mona had seen. A funny cylinder with a door sat in the corner, a workstation, and storage cabinets lined the rest of the walls. She decided the cylinder must be the mysterious transport booth, and opened the second cabinet down the wall from it. It was filled with various handcuffs, manacles, and lengths of chair. She grabbed some of each. 

Sparks whistled admiringly after she had trussed up the Vex. Hands cuffed around her back, wings tied to her body by wrapping the chain around her torso, manacles on her feet, and drawn up to the hog-tied position. "She ain't gettin' away. And I'm sure Dad wants to tell her a few things 'bout kidnappin' me." 

"Parents have to. It's a rule." Mona sighed. "Makes me glad I'm not one. Come on, let's get you patched up before he tells me a few things too." 

* * *

Tala fired her handgun. The angle they were trapped on in the stairwell was just wrong for Hot Stuff's lasers. Manuelo fired too. One shot actually hit the sniper above. She grinned. "Hang on!" 

Hot Stuff roared up the stairs. The last sniper scrambled, but the laser bolts from the bike struck. Another shot cleared the door. They drove into the hallway of cells. 

Manuelo slid off the bike as soon as it stopped and started throwing open doors. "Serafina! Felipe! Nina! Manuela! Isabel!" 

Charley rolled up next to Tala. "How are we going to control all these people?" She asked in a low voice as they started moving cautiously out of their cells. 

"Simple, keep 'em in sight." 

"Serafina!" Manuelo wrapped his arms around a stunned woman with short, curly, brown hair. 

"Manuelo?" She started sobbing and speaking rapidly in Spanish as she tightened her hold around him. A small boy and two girls ran out of the cell mobbing Manuelo's knees with cries of "Daddy" and "Uncle Manny!" Another woman dressed in hospital scrubs followed them out of the cell. 

Tala shook her head as she hid a smile. _Can't count it as a happy ending till we get them all out of here,_ she reminded herself. "Watch the door, Charley. I'll get the rest of them out." 

It was a good-sized crowd. There were sixteen cells, one opened already, and Manuelo had gotten three open before reaching his family. The five or six people in each cell soon made a tight group in the hall. Tala finally reached the last door. 

A strange wooden and metal cage sat in the middle of the room. She pulled out her gun and slowly approached it. The cage didn't have a top. She peered into it. The baby human waved at her with a giggle. She backed up to the door. "Charley, come here." 

Charley left the bikes and pushed her way through the crowd. "What is it?" Tala led her into the cell and to the wooden cage. She brushed her chestnut hair behind her ear as she stared down. She looked back up. "It's a baby." 

"I know it's a baby. What is it doing here?" 

Charley sighed and went back to the door. "Is anyone missing a baby?" 

The only answer she got back was _no_. "So what are you going to do with him?" Tala asked when Charley turned back around. 

"Me? What about you?" 

Tala retreated to the other side of the strange cage bed. "What about me? I don't know anything about babies!" 

"And I do? I dropped the egg in parenting class!" 

"At least you had a class!" The baby started wailing. "Now, look what you did." 

"What I did?" Charley answered. 

Manuelo entered the cell, holding his wife's hand. "What's going on here?" He looked down in the cage. "Now, now, pequeño. No need for that." He reached inside and picked up the baby. He held him against his chest and shoulder. "It's alright now." 

"He doesn't belong to anyone?" His wife, Serafina, asked. 

"Apparently not," Tala answered. 

The baby finally calmed down. "Here. We can use your jacket as a carrier." Manuelo started to pass the baby to Charley. 

Her green eyes opened wide. "I'll drop him like the egg!" 

"That is something I would expect Vinnie to say." 

Charley pursed her lips and buckled the waistband of the red leather jacket tight around her. She gingerly took hold of the baby and held him close to her chest. Manuelo tucked his legs into the jacket and zipped it up. Her face softened into a smile. "He's yanking on my shirt." 

"Testosterone must kick in early." Tala went to the door. Hot Stuff was keeping the prisoners from the stairwell door. "Okay people, this is a rescue. What's going to happen now is you'll follow the dark-blue bike down the stairs. About a block away is a hotel shuttle bus. It will take you to a hotel where you can spend the night free of charge or make other plans. Any questions?" 

"How do we know we can trust you?" 

"You can trust them, Nick," Manuelo answered. 

Tala glanced at Charley. "Can you handle this with this baby?" 

"He's fine." 

"Then let's move out." Charley moved in response to Tala's order. The prisoners moved out of Charley's way as she went to her bike. Tala, Manuelo, and Serafina followed her. "Manuelo, you and Hot Stuff take the rear." The man looked surprised and the bike beeped indignantly. "You can take care of him." Tala patted her bike. "Drop him off and come back and get me." That seemed to mollify her bike, and she turned to Manuelo. "Mount up." 

He kissed his wife quickly and jumped on. The five-year-old boy ran up to them. "I wanna ride, Daddy!" 

Tala grabbed the boy under his arm and swung him in front of Manuelo. "Hang on, Felipe," Manuelo admonished as he wrapped an arm around him. 

Charley started her bike and headed down the stairs. One arm pressed the baby in the jacket closer to her. Tala shooed the people out before Manuelo and Hot Stuff. She took a deep breath and she surveyed the now empty floor. She found an elevator at the end of the cellblock, but didn't take it. She moved back to the stairwell and headed up. 

The next floor was a long hall with doors. Gun in hand, she moved from empty office to empty office. No goons anywhere. Tala sighed, "So much for taking the heat off the others." She moved to the next office. It was empty too. "Okay, time to switch floors." She stepped back out. 

A redhead, teenage boy stood in the hall between her and the stairwell. He smirked at her. "No, you're not a miserable Mutate." Her helmet lifted from her head and hurtled down the hall behind her. "Much too pretty." 

Tala ignored her hammering heart. She knew that appraising look all too well. _Never again!_ She jerked her gun up and fired. 

The laser bolt shifted in midair and buried itself in the wall. "Well, that's rude. Better take that away before someone gets hurt." 

The pistol twisted out of her hand and flew into the stairwell. She heard it clatter down the stairs. She swallowed hard. "Didn't you leave your black mask somewhere?" 

"Have a Zorro fetish? I could do Zorro for you." 

Tala took a step back, but something dragged her closer. She swallowed hard again. "No, you're more the Darth Vader type." 

The boy laughed. "Why do you say that? Because of all those humans that think they got away? I'll get them back. Now let's deal with us." 

"There is no _us_!" Tala snarled. 

"Temper, temper." He made a tsking noise. "And I was hoping you'd be more cooperative." 

"With someone no better than a slaver?" Tala laughed menacingly. "Cooperate with this!" She fired the stun blaster hidden on her left wrist. 

The stun bolt buried in the wall too. The boy's young face twisted in fury. "You're still being rude!" Something picked her up and she went flying through the hall. She slammed into a sheet rock wall. Her arms and legs couldn't move against the force. The teenage boy strode toward her. "Here I am, ignoring the fact that you just let all those humans go, after I worked so hard to catch them! You owe me." 

Tala's arms curled inward. Her hands grabbed hold of the jacket. She gritted her teeth, but couldn't stop the jacket from being pulled open. The familiar vice began to close around her lungs. "No! Not now!" 

"Yes, right now," he growled. Her hands let go of her jacket and grabbed the collar of her T-shirt. 

* * *

Karbunkle's simpering face filled the vidcom screen on the wall. "I can't reconnect the alarms at all!" 

Limburger scowled at the human woman. "Don't look at me like that," she snapped at him. "I told you, you needed multiple layers of alarms." 

"I couldn't rewire the whole Tower!" Karbunkle screamed. 

Something exploded outside, pending a minor tremble through the building. "And that would be the Biker Mice," Limburger said mournfully. 

"They can't do anything as long as we have the prisoners," Val snapped. 

The elevator doors slid open and a sword twirled out first, followed by another turtle creature. This one had a blue mask around his eyes. A girl cat-creature wearing black armor came out next, then another turtle creature in a red mask. "Oh, the prisoners we just let go?" The turtle with the sword said. 

Limburger glared. "How did you get in here? All the entrances are guarded!" 

Val whirled around to the lab table. She snatched up an empty syringe and held it ready against the strapped-down turtle's neck. "Stay back!" 

"Donnie!" The red-masked turtle tried to take a step forward, but the cat-girl grabbed his arm. 

"Let him go." The blue-masked turtle's voice was low. "And you might get out of this alive." 

The red-haired woman smirked. "You're not going to risk his life." She focused on the cat-girl. "You're the brat that helped destroy the Los Trozo facility." 

"So glad you remember me," the cat-girl said. 

Val's bright-red lips twisted into her predatory grin. "Then you can tell us who the Leader of your little revolt is." 

The cat-girl's laugh had a snarl to it. "For what? Donatello's life? Then what will you hold over their heads? Forget it, Tabitha Val. Your promises are as empty as your soul." 

Limburger sidestepped backwards to make sure the human male stood between him and the weapons. He patted his jacket. Yes, the laser pistol was still hidden underneath it. But it was prudent to wait and see how this little drama would play out. 

Val scowled. "You will tell me, you little bitch. Just like they're going to give me all the secrets of their DNA. Surrender now, or watch what an air bubble in the bloodstream does." 


	24. Chapter 23: Tail Whippin Time!

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Twenty-three  
Tail Whippin Time!**

Allie hit the button and the secret door slid open silently. The bad guys were all staring at Leo, Di, and Raph and grouped around Donnie. He was strapped down to a metal table. The red-haired woman in a short skirt held a syringe at his throat. "Surrender now or watch what an air bubble in the bloodstream does," she said. 

_One chance at this,_ Allie told herself firmly. She eased forward and slipped the tip of the katana underneath the syringe. The woman turned as Allie drew the katana up. The syringe shattered and the end with the needle somersaulted in the air. Allie grabbed it with a gloved hand and threw it over her shoulder. 

She heard Mike's nunchucks whirl behind her as Limburger and Arkson turned around too. "Oops, did we interrupt somethin'?" he chuckled. 

The woman was Tabitha Val. Her snarling expression turned to Limburger. "Where did that door come from?" 

"Well, if we had told you about it, it wouldn't be a secret passageway, would it?" Limburger's white-gloved hand slipped under his jacket. 

"And you needed a secret passageway into our lab for what purpose?" Val's voice was sweet and menacing. 

"Because I don't trust you, my dear." He pulled a red laser pistol out from under his jacket. "And as they say, it's every fish for himself. Back away from the door." Mike glanced at Leo, and sidestepped out of the way. Limburger looked pleased. "I bid you adieu." He reached the passageway and bolted. 

"Wow, I didn't think something that fat could move that fast." Mike stared after Limburger. 

Allie drew the sword up to Val's chin. "Back away from him." 

Val sniffed disdainfully. "Can't say if I approve of the outfit; looks like you've watched one too many Chuck Norris movies. Or maybe it's that old Priest's influence. How is your baby brother?" 

Allie gritted her teeth. "Oh, you have other things to worry about right now. Like what the Mutates are going to do to you." 

"Like I'm going to fret about that." Running feet echoed behind the door beside the vidcom screen on the wall. It burst open and Val Tech guards flowed into the lab. Laser bolts filled the room. 

Arkson grabbed Val and pulled her to the guards. Mike leaped to Allie and yanked her under the table. The others ducked under cover. "We forgot the guns again," Mike said in her ear. 

"Guess we're gonna hafta get some then." She pulled out one of the sais and used it to break the straps tying Donnie to the table. Mike jumped up and pulled him under the table. His breathing was raspy. 

Mike growled under his breath. "Keep him safe." He sprang for the Val Tech guards. 

"Mikey!" Leo and Raph yelled at the same time. But his relentless blows stopped most of the guard from shooting. They hesitated for a second, then charged into the fray. 

Some guards were still able to shoot at Di as she ran from her hiding place to the lab table. "Are you crazy?" Allie demanded. 

"Is he alright?" She turned Donnie more to lean against her lap. 

Allie glanced at her old friend, but Di wasn't paying attention to anything else. "You're the doctor." Allie turned back to the fight. Two laser pistols slid along the floor. She lunged out and grabbed them. "Here," she passed one to Di while tucking the other into her belt. 

"You know I don't like those." Di grimaced at the gun. 

"If you won't take it for you, take it for Donnie!" A laser bolt whizzed over their heads. Di snatched it out of Allie's hand. Allie smiled at her distressed frown even though she couldn't see it. "You've got it bad." She looked back at the fight. Arkson and Val were sneaking around what was left of the guards. The Turtles didn't seem to notice. "I'll be back," Allie muttered and scrambled into the fight. 

She shoved the one guard who got in her way into Raph's fist. Val and Arkson ran down the hall. She sprinted after them. They ducked into one of the offices. She dodged in after them. Something heavy slammed down on her right hand. She dropped the katana and pulled the injured hand against her body. 

Arkson stepped back holding the long umbrella to strike again. He kicked the katana away. Allie kept a wary distance from the umbrella and her arms over the laser pistol. 

"Very good, Arkson," Val smirked. "And thank you for coming. I can at least get my revenge out of this mess." 

"Revenge solves nothing," Allie said through clenched teeth. 

"Something that old geezer taught you? If it solves nothing, why are you here?" 

Allie pulled the gun out of the belt, aimed it at Arkson's umbrella, and fired. The upper half of the umbrella disintegrated. She swiveled the gun onto Val. "Because I don't fear what evil can do to me." 

Arkson jumped in front of Val, shielding her with his body. She still peered over his shoulder. "What is that supposed to mean?" she snapped. 

"That gives me the inner strength to resist evil. Because of that inner strength, I will never become the monster you are. And since I will not become you, I am freed to stop you by any means." 

A shimmering field surrounded the pair in front of her gun. They grew translucent. Allie fired, but the laser bolt hit the wall behind them. Then they were gone. She dropped her left arm, surprised at their escape and her own lack of remorse. "Okay, Captain Kirk is on their side now? What's up with that?" 

She looked at the hole in the wall. For once, no second guesses echoed in her mind. She had had second guesses after killing the Shredder. "But killing him never made me a monster," she told herself. "And I never will be a monster." 

Running feet skidded to a stop at the office door. "Ronin? Didja?" Mike eased into the office. 

"No," she tucked the gun back in her belt. "They vanished á la Star Trek before I shot. But I was going to." She peeled the glove off her right hand. A bruise was swelling up, but nothing was broken. 

He took her hand and tested it for himself. "You were gonna?" 

"I finally realized you were right. You, Caine, everybody." She pulled the glove back on and wrapped her arms around him. 

Mike squeezed her hard. "I knew you'd figure it out." 

Allie grabbed Leo's katana after releasing him. "We better get back." 

Leo and Di looked up as she and Mike came back into the lab. "What happened to Val and Arkson?" Di asked. 

"They got away." 

"You have that teleporting thing Tala gave you?" Leo asked. 

"Yeah." Allie dug the black box out of her pouch and passed it to Leo. 

"Donnie has to get out of here now. Raph and I are going to help Di. What are you two gonna do?" 

"Raid their computers," Allie answered. "There has to be something to help Zack in them." 

"Yeah, and there's gotta be more stuff to destroy. To help," Mike replied innocently to their expressions. 

"What happened to Zack?" Di asked, her green-gold eyes scrunching with worry. 

"We'll fill you in once Donnie is taken care of," Leo promised. "Be careful, you two." He held the transport remote in one hand, and held onto Donnie with the other. Di and Raph grabbed Donnie too, and they all vanished like Val and Arkson had. 

Mike twirled a nunchuck. "You ready?" 

"Let's do it." 

* * *

A strangled growl escaped Tala's throat. Her hands pulled the collar of her T-shirt, and she could do nothing to stop them. The material finally gave way. A jagged rip slashed to the top of her bra before her hands stopped to adjust the grip on the material. 

Even Rexus had never dared to humiliate her like this. Tala trembled, but it wasn't breaking the force holding her up against the wall and moving her arms. Her cheeks burned. But focusing on the rage kept the vice from tightening on her chest. 

"You are pretty when you blush like that." The teenaged boy licked his lips as he admired the view. He giggled. "How far should I undress you before making you moan?" 

Tala gritted her teeth. "I'll kill you before that happens!" 

That made the little creep laugh harder. But the explosion at the stairwell door broke his concentration. The light-blue Martian bike roared into the hall, firing every laser cannon on it. The hold on Tala disappeared. She pushed herself off the wall. 

The pervert turned back to Tala just in time to catch the full force of her fist on his jaw. The punch knocked him into the air. Hot Stuff trilled a warning. Tala threw herself on the floor. The missile from the bike rammed the boy through the wall. It didn't exploded until it crashed outside the opposite side of the building. 

Tala slowly sat up, panting. "That'll teach ya to get between a girl and her bike." She sat on her butt in the middle of the floor. The bike rolled up to her, beeping softly. She wrapped her arms around the front end and pressed her cheek against it. "Good Hot Stuff, good girl." Her body shook as she clung to her bike. "I can't fall apart now. Not now." She closed her eyes. 

Hot Stuff beeped softly. 

Tala heard running footsteps coming closer, but she couldn't move yet. Hot Stuff popped out the rear cannons as the people got closer. "Whoa, heinous," Mike said softly. The bike revved in warning. 

"Easy bike," Allie admonished like it was a big dog. "Tala, are you okay?" 

Tala eased her eyes open. "Is Vinnie with you?" 

"Nah, it's just Al and me. Do you want him?" 

"NO!" 

"Just checking." Mike shook his head to get rid of the ringing sound. 

Tala let go of her bike and closed the armor jacket over the torn T-shirt. "He can't see me like this. He can't, he can't." She took a deep, shuddering breath. 

"It's okay; we won't tell him." Allie took a step closer. Hot Stuff revved in warning again. "Are you hurt?" 

_Just my pride, letting you see me like this._ "No, not hurt." She stood up and caught herself against Hot Stuff. "I'm okay. It's okay." She focused on the woman in black and the Turtle. "Where are the bad guys?" 

"Ran away," Mike answered. 

"Then let's go find them." 

* * *

The blue light vanished. Arkson blinked; he and Ms. Val were now in the parking garage of the Tower. Limburger panted as he leaned against a purple limousine. Arkson growled at him, but Val stalked to him first. "Damn you, you fish!" 

The mask over his face twisted with anger. "Quit your whining, you spiteful shrew! You'd still be trapped up there if it wasn't for me." 

"If it wasn't for you, the trap would have worked!" 

An explosion shook the building. "I told you to deal with the Biker Mice, but you didn't listen!" The fumes from Limburger's mouth nearly knocked Arkson down. Another blue light flashed, and Karbunkle appeared. He scrambled into the back seat of the purple limousine from the other side. "Consider this partnership over!" Limburger climbed into the limousine and it took off with squealing tires. Arkson was surprised to see the misshapen mutant barely peering over the steering wheel as the car passed. 

Val's chest heaved. She shrieked until her face turned red. The explosions moved closer. "Ms. Val," Arkson grabbed her arm. "Ms. Val, we have to leave!" 

She trembled from her anger. "That fish won't live to see an invasion!" 

He pulled her to her limousine, "Please, Ms. Val, hurry!" He finally got her into the car. The driver was no where to be seen, so he climbed behind the wheel. 

The entrance was still clear, even though the plaza and street were both filled with motorcycles, dune buggies, and wreckage from the battle. Arkson successfully maneuvered through the debris field. He turned the car to O'Hara Airport. It looked like the motorcycles were going to give chase, but they turned back. He sped as fast as the limousine would go. 

Val growled in the back seat. "That little bitch. That little bitch! That damned bastard fish!" 

He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Her brother will die." 

"It's not enough!" 

No, it wasn't enough. Dana was still unavenged, but there was no time to get that vengeance now. This fight was lost. There would be other fights. "We have to bide our time." 

"I know that! Leave me alone, Arkson." 

"Yes, Ms. Val." The Tower receded behind them. 

* * *

Vinnie brought his bike to a screeching halt. Limburger's purple limo was racing from the Tower. It turned, nearly overturning, and fled toward northern Chicago. A black limo came out of the parking garage next. "Hey! The bad guys are bookin'!" 

"Then let's get 'em!" Ryan's silver bike hurtled across the plaza to swing behind the black limo. 

"We can't!" Throttle's voice yelled through the helmet's speakers. "Goons found the prisoners!" 

Vinnie turned back to the limos. To just let them get away, he gritted his teeth. Ryan broke from following. The white mouse revved his bike and sidled up to him as they raced around the Tower. 

The people screamed inside the small bus. Charley had her bike next to it, firing a laser pistol at the dune buggies bearing down on them. Vinnie heard Throttle's growl in the speakers. The black and chrome bike whipped around and shot down the line of dune buggies. Vinnie howled as he used the jets to jump the bus. He landed at the other end of the dune buggies and started firing to meet Throttle. 

Val Tech guards ran out of the Tower and started firing. Modo, Ryan, Trash, and Smarts turned on them. 

Throttle and Vinnie both blew up the last dune buggy and faced Charley. Vinnie grinned, "Now, do we know how to have an explosively good time or what? Where's Tala?" 

"Her bike went back in for her." Charley holstered the pistol but kept her left hand pressed to her chest. 

"Are you hurt?" Throttle asked quickly. 

Charley shook her head. "I'm fine. Let me get these people out of here, so you can do what you guys do best." She signaled the driver and he put the bus in motion. "Meet you back at Tala's!" She pulled behind the bus. 

An explosion higher up caught Vinnie's attention. The afterglow faded from the roof. "My girl's havin' fun without me!" He revved his bike and shot up the side of the building. 

* * *

Mike slammed his nunchucks into a goon's stomach. The man doubled over and the Turtle knocked him out. Tala and her bike shot the dune buggies that tried to chase her around the roof. Allie sliced the tires as they drove close to her. 

It was good to work off the anger and tension. He flipped over the three goons' heads and knocked them all down with a kick. Leo and Raph would take care of Donnie, and the rest of the good guys would clean up this mess. He punched a Val Tech guard in the face. 

A bike's roar and Vinnie's insane laughter announced his arrival. The red bike shot up from the side of the building, somersaulted in the air, and landed on the roof next to Tala. "Hey babe, missed me?" 

"What kept you, Mouse Scout?" 

She was hiding her shake up well, Mike realized. Vinnie probably wouldn't even notice Tala was shook up. He turned to check on Allie. 

Allie sliced over the goon's head as he drove past. He snickered while he turned back for another pass until the kickbar fell on his head. He slumped over, hitting the fire button. The missile left the kickbar. Allie took two running steps away before the explosion knocked her into the air and over the side of the building. 

"**NO!**" Mike sprinted to the side and dove off. Allie's black form fluttered beneath him. He moved like a sky-diver and caught up with her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, his left arm wrapped around her waist, and he pulled out his grappling hook. He turned and threw the rope. 

The hook grabbed the concrete, but didn't find a hold and slipped off. "No," Allie moaned. 

A roaring bike was coming closer. Mike looked down. Throttle was driving up the side of the building. He wrapped his tail around Mike's free arm. Mike grabbed the tail and tightened his hold on Allie. Throttle laughed as their free fall jerked to a stop and started back up. "You two forgot you can't fly?" 

"Knew we were forgettin' somethin." Mike kept his grip tight until the bike landed on the roof and Throttle set them down. Modo had reached the top and chased a dune buggy out of the way. Mike released Allie and faced her. "I think you need a little more sky-diving practice." 

"You could've gotten killed!" Allie's blue eyes were wide open under her mask. "What were you thinking, following me off the building!" 

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. "My path has been your path since the first time I saw you. I'm gonna follow you everywhere." He planted a kiss on her covered lips. "Except the girls' restroom; I don't wanna know what you do in there." He grinned at her. 

"I don't wanna get you killed!" 

"And you won't. Didja get hurt?" 

"No." Her eyes looked puzzled. 

"Good. Then kick some shell!" 

Throttle chuckled. "Now that's dedication." 

The dune buggies didn't want to fight anymore. The ones that could still move turned and scurried back down the secret pop-up entrance. "Looks like they have had too much party," Modo said. 

"Too much is never enough!" Vinnie crowed. Tala gunned her bike and followed the buggies. "Hey wait for me!" Vinnie chased after her. 

Throttle swung Allie on his bike behind him. "Can't let those two have all the fun." 

"Yeah, we'll free fall into the Tower rubble if we do." Modo laughed. 

Mike got onto Modo's bike behind the large grey mouse. "I hope you don't drive like Vinnie." 

He chuckled. "Nobody drives like Vinnie. Which is a blessing in disguise. Hang on!" 

* * *

Ryan studied the damage they had done to the parking garage of the skyscraper. "Okay Bones, pull out!" 

Trash looked worried as she and Smarts rode out of the garage. They pulled up alongside him. "The Martians haven't come down yet," she yelled. 

"Well, they better come down before the building does." Ryan turned and looked up at the building. He thought he could hear them inside. The building shook and smoke rolled out of the windows. "They're still finding targets." 

She climbed off Smarts's bike. "Maybe I should go in after them." 

Ryan shook his head. "This is their job." 

"But Ryan?" 

Something in his chest grew tight. "Rescuing him before sure didn't make him want to jump your bones; why would now be different?" 

"You're a real bastard, you know that?" She walked away with her hands stuffed in her jacket's pockets. 

Dune buggies shot out of the front door of the Tower. Eight howled with delight and rode his maroon trike after them. "I will provide the necessary strategic cover fire." Smarts offered as he revved his dirt bike. 

"Go." Ryan waved him off and stared at Trash. _Why does she hafta be so... so...._ Words failed him. He sighed, watching her sulk. _Besides, they don't need rescuing._

On cue to prove him right, four bikes crashed through a third story window. The mice used rocket jets to cushion the drop. The wheels on Tala bike spilt in half and they moved out diagonally until they were horizontal to the ground. And the bike just floated in the air. 

Vinnie turned around to scowl at the building. "It should be down by now. A couple of mouse grenades will fix that." He pulled out a dark grey, bottle-shaped object. 

"Have a little patience, Vincent," Throttle said. 

"Patience, shmatience. I need a kaboom!" 

A loud breaking sound followed Vinnie's yell. Ryan twisted to see a large chunk of concrete falling off the side of the building. "Move people!" Tala yelled. She turned her bike, banking against the Tower, and started firing on the concrete. 

The other bikes moved away with roaring engines. "Ryan!" He whipped his head around. Trash ran to him and shoved. Her strength moved both him and his bike. 

He lost balance, and he and his bike slid on their sides across the plaza. They both came to a stop against a wrecked dune buggy. He sat up to see the cascade of now smaller rocks fall on Trash. "**TRASH!**" 

Tala landed her bike next to the rock rubble. "Famak, famak, famak, famak!" She grabbed a piece of concrete and hefted it off. Eight joined her, moaning to himself. 

Ryan climbed to his feet. He wobbled, but he stayed up. He had had worse spills than this. And Trash, Trash needed help. He stumbled to the rubble. A pair of hands grabbed him when he reached the rubble. "Ryan," Allie said. 

He jerked out of her grasp. "Hafta get her out, hafta." He buried his hands into the dust and scooped it away. "She never left us." He took another handful and shoved it away. "We can't leave her." The others moved the larger pieces. "She hasta be okay; she hasta be okay." He muttered, not caring what the others thought. Only Trash mattered. 

Eight howled with triumph. Leather was visible under the rock he had just picked up. 

"Careful!" Throttle barked. "We don't know how bad she's hurt." 

"She's still breathing," Tala announced. She eased the rocks away from Trash. Ryan held his breath when he saw both Trash's arms protected her head. But the right one was bent in a spot where it couldn't. "Arm's broken. Can't tell 'bout internal injuries." 

"Get her out of there!" Ryan tried to move closer to Trash. "We can't help her like this!" 

Tala blew out her breath with aspiration. "Can someone control the Boy Hysterical please? Hot Stuff, head home with the others." The bike's beep cut off Ryan's angry outburst. Tala leaned down, touched Trash with one hand, and pressed the buckle of her gun belt. They vanished in a flash of blue light. 

"What the hell?" Ryan stumbled against the rocks, trying to reach the spot where Trash had been crumpled. 

"Chill, it's okay," Vinnie gestured with his hands for Ryan to calm down. "She's transported back to her ship." 

"Trash has a chance. Tala pulverized this stuff pretty good." Throttle kicked a rock as he looked up at the Tower. "Let's get outta here." 

The building shook again. "Yeah, we need to watch it come down from a distance." Allie took hold of Ryan's arm, a firm hold he couldn't break. She guided him out of the rocks. "Can you ride?" 

"Of course I can ride!" Ryan jerked his arm away when they reached clear ground. "I may not be as good as you, but some stuff I can manage!" 

"Then let's ride, people," Throttle said. 

Ryan picked up his bike and climbed on it. The building caved in on itself in earnest now, but everyone was out of the danger zone. He stared at the blacktop highlighted by the headlight. The others climbed onto their bikes and the caravan started down the street. 

If Trash died.... How could she do that? He could've gotten them both to safety on his bike. What would they do without Trash? Sure, she was rude, crude, and a sex-aholic, but how much of that was from her insatiable lust for life? She knew how fragile life is; they all did. She had her freedom taken from her once and she swore to never let it happen again. Even if it meant dying for it. 

His throat tightened. No, she couldn't die. He couldn't let her die. The other bikes moved on the street around him. He focused on his driving. No, she couldn't die. She just couldn't. 


	25. Chapter 24: Medical Emergencies

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Twenty-four  
Medical Emergencies**

Charley parked the bike in Tala's garage. The baby's screaming got even louder when the engine shut off. She unzipped her jacket and tried to hold him like Manuelo had. The baby squirmed and squalled. "Oh come on, kid, give me a break!" Charley had never felt more exhausted. And Manuelo had stayed at the hotel with his family; who could blame him? Whatever she was doing made the baby scream louder. "Don't do this, please! I'll build you a motorcycle if you stop crying. How does that sound?" 

His chubby face screwed into the most desolate expression yet and he screamed louder. 

Charley's heart pounded. What if she had done something to hurt him without meaning to? "Hey, it's okay. Come on, it's okay." She looked at his arms and legs, but what would they look like if something were wrong? "Damn Dad, why didn't you give me any pointers on this? Oh man, now I'm cussing in front of a kid." 

Roaring bike engines grew louder and all seven of them rolled in and parked. The baby screamed louder. The Bones, Allie, and Mike headed straight for the elevator. The mice stopped and stared at her and the baby. 

Vinnie chortled first. Modo added his guffaws. Throttle couldn't help grinning as he asked. "Gee, babe, when were you gonna tell me? Didja think I wouldn't understand?" 

"All the fights we've been in, bros, and we've never come home with one of those." Vinnie took a deep breath. "One of the prisoners rewarded ya for a good rescue?" 

"Reward? Looks more like punishment from her expression." Modo laughed harder. 

"Laugh it up, fuzzballs," Charley snapped. "You guys will have plenty of time to bond when you baby-sit." 

"No way! This studly mouse does not baby-sit." 

The baby screamed again. 

"Just as well, I don't think the kid likes you, Vincent." 

Charley tried to soothe the baby, but it wasn't working. 

"Well, who are you gonna name the kid after, Daddy Throttle?" 

"Look if you three are finished laughing at my expense, can you call Manuelo? So he can tell me what's wrong?" Charley snapped. 

Modo wiped his eye and took the baby from Charley. He cradled him in his flesh arm. "Hey there li'l fella, what's a matter? Tummy growlin'?" The baby actually started sucking on his metal fingers. "Don't think you'll like how them taste. He's just hungry. We'll have to get him baby stuff." 

"There are some supplies available in the ship, Biker Modo," MC announced over the speakers in the garage. 

Charley glared at the room. "She said she didn't know anything about babies." 

"Mistress Tala doesn't, but that doesn't stop her from transporting former slaves that have infants." 

"Then let's get ya fixed up, li'l fella." 

Vinnie snickered as Modo headed to the elevator shaft. "Modo, the only Biker Mouse who lists Mr. Mom as a role model." 

"Don't worry, Vinnie. Maybe you'll grow up someday too." 

Charley ignored them and wrapped her arms around Throttle. "You okay?" he asked in a low, husky voice. 

"Just frazzled. I didn't know what was wrong. How'd things go?" 

"The Tower's down and Stinkfish and party took off in two different directions. But Trash got hurt." 

"Bad?" 

"Unconscious when Tala transported her here." Throttle kept his arm around her shoulders as they got into the elevator with Modo and Vinnie. "Where did you find the baby?" 

"He was with the people they were holding captive. Nobody claimed him and we couldn't leave him there." Charley leaned into Throttle. "But with everything they've said about those Val Tech people...." 

Modo looked up from the baby with a not quite glowing eye. "They ain't comin' back to Chi-town." 

"That's affirmative, Big Fella." Throttle squeezed Charley. 

"Nobody messes with our turf," Vinnie added. 

The elevator reached the top of the building. Allie, Eight, Smarts, and Sparks sat obviously guarding the tied-up and unconscious BatWing. Sparks jumped up when he saw them. "See what me and Mona caught!" He pointed to BatWing as he came forward with a limp. "And Tala declared the ship off-limits unless you have a medical reason for being there." 

"You're hurt." Modo's eye grew wider. 

"It's nothin'. MC said so." 

All heads turned to see the scuffle coming down the ramp. Mike and Mona had Raph by the arms and were dragging him out of the ship. "Donnie needs us!" The red-masked Turtle yelled. 

"Let Leo handle it. There's not enough room; the computer said so," his brother answered. 

"That computer wants to pump him full of alien drugs!" 

"If you don't behave," Mona grunted, "we're gonna take up its offer to sedate you!" 

"You don't know what they'll do to him!" 

"So this is why they punch people and carry them out in the movies." 

"Just try it, Michaelangelo!" 

The baby started screaming again. "Outta the way," Modo rumbled. Mona and Mike managed to pull Raph out of the way and the big mouse was able to go into the ship. 

"Where'd the baby come from?" Sparks asked. 

"Another prisoner," Charley answered. "What's going on?" 

"Not enough space in the medbay," the boy mouse answered. "We had just gotten Donnie set up when Tala came in with Trash." 

"I better go help." Charley sighed; she really didn't want to leave Throttle's embrace. 

"Not necessary," Tala came down the ramp looking exhausted. "Set Trash's arm, fed her a bunch of pain killers, and wrapped her ribs. Nothing internal, otherwise it would be a mess. Ryan's sitting with her." 

"And Donnie?" Raph demanded. 

"Got antibiotics that match his genetic profile and MC is very offended, Mr. Paranoia." Tala glared at Raph as she came down the ramp. "It's been treating me with alien drugs for years. His fever's gone down, but hasn't broken. And now that all the medical equipment is set up in the bunks, you're free to run amok. Excuse me." She brushed past Throttle and got into the elevator. Vinnie watched her progress with a frown. 

Everyone bolted to go inside the spaceship. Throttle squeezed Charley's shoulders again. "Let's go find somewhere to curl up. We're just in the way up here." 

She smiled up at him. "I like that plan." 

* * *

Vinnie saw that Throttle and Charley wanted some alone time. Not that it was hard to miss. He left them in Tala's loft and headed down. Where had she gone? Probably to check on her bike. He pushed the "G" button in the elevator. He saw her as soon as he stepped out. Tala was curled up in a ball, sitting next to her bike. The light-blue bike flashed its mousehead-shaped headlight and popped out its laser canons. 

"Whoa," he raised his hands to surrender. "Did I forget my white flag?" 

His red bike revved and got between him and Tala's bike, beeping angrily. The blue bike beeped back, provoking a lashing out of beeps between the two bikes. And it looked like Modo and Throttle's rides were staying out of it. 

"Stop it you two." Tala took a deep breath and gained more control over her voice. "Stop it and stand down." The blue bike beeped, but pulled in its laser canons. 

The red bike pulled back so Vinnie could pass. He crouched down next to her. She was shivering. "Doll-face, you okay?" 

She took another deep breath. "No, yes, it's just a bad reaction. Hot Stuff, she protects me when I can't. Sorry." 

"A good bike should, that's okay." His tail twitched. He wasn't good at this stuff. He opened his mouth and the wrong thing came out--everybody knew that. She sure didn't need him to say something stupid, but the silence was getting uncomfortable between them. "Is it what happened to Trash?" 

Tala shook her head quickly. "She chose to do what she did. Not my pick on ways to die, too messy." 

"Yeah, messy. Give me a blaze of glory. But... um... if it's not what happened to Trash?" 

"My fight and I don't want to talk 'bout it!" Her trembling had gotten worse. The short, blonde hair drooped over her forehead. 

Vinnie frowned. He had seen this before, but there had always been someone else to handle it. "Okay, babe, we don't have to talk 'bout it. I'll be back in a sec, so don't shoot me." 

He thought furiously while riding the elevator. She was in shock, but she probably didn't want anyone to know. She did go hide with the bikes. He got off at Tala's loft. From the catwalk, he stared down at the couch area and grinned. Throttle and Charley were making out, not caring who saw them. And his bro was too serious for public displays of affection. He must've been really worried about her. He headed down the stairs. "I hate to interrupt...." 

Throttle laid his head back on the couch. "Then why are you?" He growled, not letting Charley off his lap. Her cheeks were turning red, and she buried his face against Throttle's neck. 

"Cause I don't know what to do with shock for a human. You give 'em somethin to drink, right?" Vinnie moved to the kitchen area and started going through the cabinets. 

"Something hot and sweet usually works. Right, Charley-girl?" 

She lifted her head. "Yeah, that works. "What's wrong?" 

Vinnie found some fruity-smelling tea and a container of sugar. He followed the directions for a cup and this time nothing caught on fire in the microwave. "Nothin's wrong. I've got everything under control." 

"Since when?" 

"Very funny, Charley-girl." He carried the mug up the stairs and back to the elevator. 

He heard her say something, but it was nearly under her breath and he couldn't make out the words. "Let him handle it," Throttle answered. 

"But Throttle...." It sounded like Throttle shut her up with a kiss. Vinnie shook his head as he got back on the elevator. Good thing too, he didn't know how Tala would react to Charley acting like a medic over her. His gut told him not very well. 

She was still curled up next to her bike. "Here, drink this." Vinnie pressed the mug into her hands. She sipped it automatically; her steely-blue eyes slowly focusing on him. He plopped down on the floor not exactly in front of her. "Made it myself. And you still have a microwave." 

"That's good. I like my microwave." She drank more of the tea. The hands holding the mug were already calmer. 

"Well, the Tower went kaboom. I've had my daily limit." 

"You have a limit?" 

"I think I do." But his voice echoed his uncertainty. What could've shook her up so bad? She hadn't been like this after the fight on the _Fury_ nor after they fought the Sand Raiders. Well, she had her panic attacks, but he triggered those. She said this was from the fight. 

She sipped the tea and didn't look at him. "I lost control." 

_Okay, maybe she wants to talk about it. Careful, Vincent,_ he cautioned himself, _she still has her gun._ "You did somethin' you regret, babe?" 

"No, it didn't get that far. He never got to see anything." She laughed into the mug before taking another swallow. "Damned bastard. I couldn't fight him." 

"He was better than you?" _Must be a Val Tech guy. Fishlips can't hire anyone good._

"Unfair fight. I don't think picking someone up and slamming them into the wall is a legal move." 

"Depends on the wrestling organization." 

"And I couldn't stop him. He took control and I couldn't stop him." 

"But you got out of it." 

"Hot Stuff got me out." Tala patted the crankcase. "Everybody else just wants to hurt." 

"I don't wanna hurt you." 

"I know, but that doesn't make you safe. You make me feel things that hurt." 

"But babe, I thought you like danger?" 

"I don't like losing control." 

Vinnie swallowed down the sigh he wanted to heave. Back to the losing control bit, had this guy knocked her out? But she would just break his jaw when she woke up. "Babe, what happened?" 

"He made me take off my clothes." She gulped down more tea. 

"I can't even make you do that!" There it was. He finally said something stupid. He waited for her to slap him. 

"I didn't want to do it! He took control of me, the telekinetic little freak! He made me do it." She squeezed the mug tighter. 

Vinnie tried to wrap his mind around this. She hadn't wanted to, but he made her do it. How could anyone make Tala do something she didn't want to? "I don't understand." 

She closed her eyes. "Just forget 'bout it." 

"I can't. It's hurtin' you." 

That made her focus on him. "Is that why you want to know?" 

"I just wanna make you feel better." 

"Not gonna happen." 

Vinnie lashed his tail. He wanted to wrap his arms around her. But that would probably be the worse thing to do. "Babe, I don't know what to do." 

"I don't know either." She drained the mug. "I'm just so tired." 

He bit his lip before asking, "You didn't react like this after the fight on the _Fury_?" 

"I also didn't have someone holding me down with his mental powers," her voice descended into a growl, "making me rip off my clothes so he could rape me." 

Vinnie could only blink at her. He didn't know how the guy did what he did, but he had and now he had to pay. He clenched his fingers into a fist. The fingernails dug into his leather gloves. She'd never want him to touch her again. Oh the bastard had to pay. "Where is he!" 

She hid her face in her hands. "Why did I tell you that?" She started trembling again. "I couldn't fight him. He made my hands grab my clothes and I couldn't stop him. I couldn't stop him." 

"I'll kick his ass all over Chi-town!" He could feel his fur standing up. 

"Hot Stuff blew him out of the building. I don't think he survived." She sighed and uncovered her face. "He never got to see anything. But I can't... I can't stop shaking." 

"It's like the panic attacks?" 

"Related to them, I think. I don't really know." She shuddered. "Can we stop talking 'bout it?" 

"Yeah, sure, okay. What do you wanna talk 'bout?" Vinnie shuffled the heels of his boots against the floor. 

She sighed. "Nothing really. Guess it's bedtime." 

"Okay." He stood up and offered his hand. She flinched, drawing back. He winced. "Babe, you know I wouldn't hurt you. I'm just gettin' you on your feet, that's all. I'll go curl up on the couch once Throttle and Charley are through with it." 

"I'm not up for fighting you tonight, Vinnie." Tala reached up and grabbed his hand. 

"No fighting. I'll just drop you off at your bedroom door." He tentatively wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She stiffened slightly, and then relaxed against him. He led her to the elevator. "'Sides, I don't want you to punch me again." 

* * *

Di swiveled her head from Donnie lying on the bed back to the laptop computer Sparks had found for her. She read a few paragraphs on the screen, then turned back to Donnie. Raph finally growled, "Will you make up your mind of what you wanna look at!" 

Her claws unsheathed and she made a conscious effort to pull them back in. "He's responding to the treatment. Zack won't unless I can find a solution in this information Allie and Mike brought back." With a firm resolution to keep her mind on her job, she turned back to the computer screen. She leaned forward to keep the chair from touching her back, scrolled down a page, skimming thorough the information on the progeny, and gasped. 

"What is it?" Leo was over her shoulder peering at the screen. 

"Formulas. I think they're the formulas for starting and stopping the mutation process, but I'll have to run tests to make sure." 

Leo frowned at the strings of chemical shorthand on the screen. "But you still don't know how to reverse it. Stopping it will just leave him looking like he does now for the rest of his life." 

Di sighed. "And if there is no other choice but to let him die? At least now we have another option." 

"The other option still sucks," Raph answered. 

_At least this decision is out of my hands. All I have is a doctor's responsibility with Zack's life, to advocate keeping it._ She sighed again, but the computer broke in before she could respond to Raph. "Assistance needed in the medbay." She rushed into the next room to find Mike and Allie trying to keep the thrashing boy on the bed. The IV drips were already ripped out of his arm. Zack's groans were closer to screams of pain. His skin was a deep purple shade and the talons he now had on the ends of his fingers slashed the mattress. 

Mike looked up and saw her. "He just started goin' nuts!" 

The metamorphosis would look like just going nuts to someone who had the luxury of growing up over a lifetime. Zack's back arched and he screamed. "Roll him over on his stomach!" The two obeyed quickly while Di snatched the blanket out of the way. New bones stretched the growing skin. Two between his shoulder blades on each side of his spine, probably a type of wing structure. Zack broke an arm free of Mike's grip and started clawing at his jeans. "Get his pants off!" Mike did what he was told, and there was another bony projection forming at his tailbone. Di winced as she twitched her own tail. 

Zack calmed down once the pressures were off the growths to his body. One of the robot arms grabbed hold of his right arm and guided the IV needle back into it. "Should I increase the dosage of pain medication?" the computer asked. 

"Yes, but only slightly." Di found the bandages and patched Zack's arm. She glanced up at Allie's almost bloodless face. "Sit down before you pass out!" 

Sparks darted from the doorway and grabbed her arm. He pulled her to the pallet on the floor and pushed her onto it. "What is my brother turning into? What have they done to him?" She was still way too pale. 

Di took a deep breath. "I've never seen this before. But the potential must have been a part of his DNA...." 

"Don't give me the science bullshit!" 

"He's still your brother, Allie! It doesn't matter what he looks like!" 

Allie buried her face in her hands. "And he's in pain and I can't stop it." A sob escaped from her. "I can't do anything to stop it." 

Mike left Zack's side and came around the bed. He knelt next to her, wrapping his arms around her. "Let it out, let it out." 

"Can you fix him?" Sparks asked in a small voice. 

"I don't know yet," Di answered honestly. All she wanted to do was to curl up next to Donnie and sleep. But between Zack and his brothers, that wasn't going to happen tonight. "But if I can't, I can end his suffering." 

His red eyes stared up at her bleakly. "That's what they said when Mom died." 

Di winced. At least this kid still had his father. "He won't die. The mutation maybe permanent, but he won't die." 

"Not sure that's any better, ma'am." He turned and left the medbay. 

_I'm not sure either,_ she thought. 

* * *

Eight poked his head out of the room when he heard the screams coming from the medbay. Others were dealing with it, so he returned his attention to Trash. He had never seen her so banged up: a black eye, the broken arm, the bruised ribs, a long gash on her leg that had been stitched up before they got back here. The drugs they had given her had put her in the most peaceful sleep he had seen her in. Boyo when they wore off and she woke up, he wanted to be out of Chicago. 

But Ryan had him worried. All their leader could do was sit on the edge of the bed and stare at her. 

Smarts stood up from the wall he was leaning again. "There is nothing that can be done by us. She will awaken in the morning and so will I." 

"Go on to bed. I'm gonna stay with her." 

Smarts shot Eight an expression that plainly said _leader boy had lost it_. Eight didn't think so. Maybe Ryan had finally found it. He signed to Smarts to go on. After he left, Eight gently touched Ryan's shoulder. *Are you okay?* 

"I'm fine. Go on to bed too. I'm staying here." 

*She's going to be okay.* 

"Next, you'll be saying she's too smart to do something as stupid as she did." Ryan rubbed his eyes. "I just need some time to think." 

*Don't let your brain talk you out of what your heart is telling you.* Eight lumbered off. Ryan did need time to sort it out. And he couldn't wait to get out of this cramped spaceship he couldn't fly. He had peeked in the cockpit. He could barely fit in its room. Maybe he could talk to someone about getting a spaceship his size. 

* * *

Sparks crept into the ship's lounge. He thought he was being quiet enough, but his father still looked over his shoulder from the couch. "Hey son. What's wrong?" 

He came around and sat on the couch. Modo held the human baby in his left arm while the kid drank greedily from a bottle. But he draped his tail around Sparks's shoulders. "Di says the only way to save Zack might be to finish mutating him." Sparks stared at the floor. 

"Oh Momma. But I guess that's better than dying." 

"Not by much." Sparks continued staring at the floor. 

Modo's tail squeezed Sparks slightly. "Somethin' yer grandma used to tell me. 'Life is a journey, not a destination. And sometimes all you can do is concentrate on the ride.'" 

"So I'm worryin' for nothin'." He aimed his small sneer at the floor. 

"Maybe it's not as bad as you think." 

Sparks sighed as he watched the baby. He kicked his pink, bare feet. "Are we gonna keep him?" 

"Don't know yet. He might have family somewhere." 

"Cause I'm not jealous or nothin' if you wanna keep him." 

Modo chuckled and ruffled Sparks's hair with his metal hand. "We'll see. Our lives are a li'l hectic for a baby. And the scoreboard ain't no place for an infant. Barely a place for ya." 

"I like the scoreboard, Dad." Sparks tickled the baby's foot. "They took good care of him. I've seen babies in worse shape than he is onboard the _Fury_." 

"He's a hungry li'l tyke. When everybody is done gettin' medical treatment, it'll be his turn." Sparks tried to stop the yawn from coming out, but didn't succeed. Modo chuckled. "Bedtime for both of ya." 

"Aw Dad." 

"No _aw Dad_'s. You think I'm gonna stay up?" 

"I'm gonna miss somethin excitin'." Sparks folded his arms. 

"With this crowd? They'll wake you up." 


	26. Chapter 25: Waking Up is Hard to Do

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Twenty-five  
Waking Up is Hard to Do**

The groan felt good slipping out of Donnie's mouth. He blinked his eyes as the dimly lit room came into focus. The lab had been brighter than this. So had the cell. He remembered Val holding something to his neck and not being able to move at all. His hand moved from under a blanket and rubbed. Nothing was wrong with his neck. 

"Hey! He's awake!" That sounded like Leo. Was Raph hurt again? It would be just like him to get himself killed trying to save the day. 

A golden face leaned over Donnie's gaze. Her fur caught the light and dispersed a halo around her. Her hand brushed his forehead. "You're awake finally," Di said softly. "You had us worried for a while." 

He caught her hand before it withdrew. "What happened?" His throat felt raw. 

"Get him some water," Di told someone out of his range of vision. 

The water glass appeared with Leo to help him drink it. "You're safe now, Donnie." 

Now he could handle talking. "What took you guys so long?" 

"There was some other stuff that slowed us down." Leo had his responsible-for-all-the-crap face on. "We should've been there sooner." He helped Donnie sit up in the bed. 

"I'm not complaining about any rescue," Di answered. 

"Donnie's awake?" Both Raph and Mikey tried to come through the door at the same time. Raph shoved his way in first. "Your girlfriend let go of your hand long enough to come see about him?" He threw over his shoulder contemptuously. 

Mike straightened his belt as he came up to the bed. "She shoved me out of the medbay when Leo started bellowin'." 

"Allie and Mona are here?" Donnie looked at Di, not expecting a straight answer from anyone else. 

"Yes, they're both here." 

"Good thing too," Mike broke in, "or we would've never teamed up with the Martians." 

"Martians?" 

"And we needed them 'cause Val Tech was teamed up with the Plutarkians," Leo added helpfully. 

Donnie turned back to Di. She shrugged as if to say _I don't know either_. "What happened to Arkson and Val?" 

"They got away," Leo answered. "Gettin' you and the other prisoners to safety was more important." 

"Next time then." 

"There ain't gonna be a next time," Raph fairly growled. 

"Maybe not for you." Di's fur bristled. 

Donnie squeezed her hand, taking her solemn gaze from Raph. "He didn't mean it like that. Just that they weren't getting another chance at me." 

"Well that I can agree with. I don't want to see you get hurt again." A sudden flush of red was visible under her fur. 

"And I don't like to see you hurt." Not that he could see her wounds now. The form-fitting jumpsuit she had on completely covered her body. 

"Aw don't you two look cute?" Mike said with a grin. "Guess gettin' locked up in an alien's skyscraper fortress ain't so bad." Di's face grew redder and she tried to pull her hand away. Donnie held onto it tightly. "Glad your shell is in one piece, Donnie, but I gotta get back to keep vigil over Zack." 

"Zack? What happened to Zack?" But Mikey ducked out of the room without answering. "What happened?" 

Leo glared at the door, "Michaelangelo's big mouth." 

"I don't think I'll go into shock if I know, Leo." 

Di took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. "They mutated him. His body is still going through the change. Everyone's hoping we can find a way to reverse it." Her voice betrayed her weariness. 

"Have you been working on it since you guys got us out? How long has that been?" 

"Since early last night. It's almost noon now," Leo answered. 

"Didja get your back fixed?" She stared at the blanket. "Di!" 

"Other people were hurt worse than me!" 

She wouldn't meet his eyes. Yet he wasn't really surprised by her actions. Everyone else's needs would always come before her own. "Give me the info. You get fixed up." 

"Donnie, you shouldn't push yourself." 

Raph for once backed up Leo. "Yeah, you were really sick." 

"Nothing's wrong with my brain. Hand it over." 

"Well, that's always open to debate," Raph answered while Di set the laptop within Donnie's reach. 

"Go do something useful like make up with Mona." Donnie grabbed the laptop. "Or go sit with Zack. Or fix me something to eat. Or take Di to get treated." 

"I don't need him to take me! I give orders!" 

"You won't be if your back gets infected." Donnie winced slightly. "Will you do it for me?" 

She blushed again. "I'm going, okay?" 

Leo watched her and Raph leave. "She's nice." 

"Very nice," Donnie answered while opening up the computer files he needed. 

"But won't you have trouble bringing her home to meet Splinter?" 

* * *

Trash had always awakened quietly. The trait had served her well in the labs where they would leave you alone until they were sure you were awake. It also came in handy for avoiding messes in the mornings. She eased her eyes open, but only one wanted to cooperate. Her body ached, and she wasn't under a big pile of rocks. Then her heart thumped oddly. Ryan sat on the end of the bed. _Poor thing, looks like he's been up for hours. But he's here. He's not holding Allie's hand._ She stretched as much as she dared given how her body ached. "Hello, what's for breakfast?" 

"And I was worried about brain damage." Ryan shook his head. 

_So much for a gushing romantic scene. He's just here 'cause that's what a good leader does._ She blinked her one moving eyelid rapidly. "Well, you're the one who's always telling me how hard-headed I am. And it's not my fault my metabolism is all whacked," she added peevishly. 

"Talk about being hard-headed. What in the world were you thinking! You could've been killed!" 

"Yeah, like you think that's such a bad thing." Trash's head pounded all over. "You really need to learn some gratitude." 

"Gratitude over a suicide attempt!" 

"I got you outta the way!" Her head really pounded now. 

"I could've got us both outta the way!" Ryan yelled back. "But you didn't stop to think." 

"Hello, anybody want lunch in here?" Charley opened the door. 

Trash didn't care. She was so tired of caring that never seemed to get her anything. "I can't! I can't think and do like Allie! No one can!" She burst into tears. "Not that it matters to you what I am good at! The only thing you give a damn about is I'm not Allie!" 

Through the stinging in her left eye and haze of tears in the right, she watched Charley storm into the room and grab Ryan's ear. "Get out now!" He couldn't fight the hold, and found himself deposited in Throttle's arms in the spaceship's hallway. Charley shut the door, pulled a clean bandanna from her pocket, and gave it to Trash. 

It felt like forever before Trash got her crying under control. The eye that wouldn't open was swollen shut. She could feel it through the bandanna. Charley didn't say anything. Trash wiped her face. It felt odd to use her left hand to do it. "Do you know what a lucky bitch you are?" 

"I wouldn't put it like that," she answered dryly. 

"He loves you more than anything else. More than himself. Do you know how rare that is?" She couldn't even look at Charley's sympathetic face. "I'm never gonna get that. Guys just wanna screw with a freak like me. All guys but Leader-boy. And I don't need him to love me." The tears welled up again and her throat hurt. "I just wanna be worth somethin' to him just once. A good Bone, a good fighter, a good anything." 

Charley took a deep breath. "Look Trash, Ryan was really worried about you. I don't think he expressed himself very well." 

"He's never had that problem. Ever. You always know what he's thinkin'." Trash wanted to curl up in a ball of pain. But her body wouldn't let her. "All he cares about is bein' a good leader and impressin' Allie so she'll love him back." She tried to laugh, but it hurt her ribs. "He followed her 'cross country, learned to fight what she thought was a worthy fight, got stuck leading us, and she's in love with someone freakier than most Mutates." Her chuckle was bitter and short. 

"You think it serves him right." 

"You just don't get it, do ya? It hurts him. It hurts him to see her in the arms of another guy. I don't want to see him hurt. But sympathy he don't want from me. He just wants to hate me for being available and not being Allie. It'd be so much easier if I could just hate her." 

"I would think hating her would be easier than hating Ryan," Charley said. 

"She's my friend. And I don't hate Ryan." 

"You sure treat him like you do." 

"You don't understand anything!" 

"Calm down." 

Trash closed her eye and took as deep of a breath as she could. "All I have is me and even that was taken away and forced to change. All I can offer is freaky me and that's not good enough. Ryan hates me enough to crush me under him. I can't let him do that." She snorted, "I even try to take myself out of the problem and that doesn't work." 

Charley took another deep breath. "Trash," she began. 

"Look, you don't like me and I don't like you. The least you can do is spare me the sympathy speech." 

"And I had one all wrote out," Charley snapped back. "I'm not your enemy." 

"Nah, you just got a decent man... er male that treats ya like gold. True, you had to go to another planet to find him." 

"And you're jealous. Get over it. You might have more friends that way." 

Trash frowned. "I don't need friends. Just like I don't need love." 

"If that's the way you feel. But it's a very lonely life." She finally left. 

Trash sighed with relief. But she couldn't stay here. Ryan would come back and yell or somebody else would show up feeling sorry for her. She couldn't handle either anymore. 

She pried the suction cups and wires off her skin, and rolled onto her feet. She managed not to jostle her arm in the cast, but the movement sharply drove the air from her lungs. Once her breath was back, she cussed until the pain subsided. "No pain, no gain," she grunted to herself and limped down the hall. She had to catch herself against the hall walls when her vision went swimming. But nobody else on the ship seemed to notice. 

At the very end of the spaceship was a big room with lots of tools and a funny-looking cylinder in the corner, big enough for a couple of people to get inside. "What the hell is that?" She took a long route to get closer, staying near the walls so she wouldn't hit the floor. 

"That is a transport booth," a disembodied, female voice answered. "The Plutarkians stole most of the technology, but others use it as well." 

"Cool, so you're a talking ship that talks in the house." 

"Yes, and an organic in your condition should be resting." 

Trash ignored the good advice and studied the control panel next to the booth's door. She kept her hands off, not wanting to hurt her good one. "So you can beam me anywhere with this thing?" 

"Yes, I can transport you to almost anywhere." 

"Good, I wanna get away." 

"You need to be more specific." 

"A beach." 

"You shouldn't travel in your condition." 

"You're not my mother." She climbed into the cylinder. "Energize." The clear glass doors slid shut in front of her. A blue light surrounded her and when it cleared, she was standing on a concrete beach. She turned and saw the John Hancock Center building in the nearby city skyline. "I guess it sent me to the closest beach." She eased down until she could lie on the sun-baked stone. "No more yelling." She closed her eyes. 

* * *

Ryan rubbed his ear while staring at the shut door. And he had always thought actors hammed it up when that happened on TV. Throttle grabbed hold of his arm. "Let's let the ladies chat," the tan mouse said. Ryan went willingly down the ramp and out of the ship. "What the hell was that about?" 

"What is it to you?" Ryan gritted his teeth after letting the snarl out. He wasn't mad at the Martian, but he made a convenient target. 

"When a subordinate is recuperating is not the time to call them on the carpet! You should know that." 

"So I guess this is the time for you to spell out how lousy a leader I am." 

"Stow the attitude!" Throttle yelled. "I'm not an insecure girl you can take your insecurities out on." 

"No, you just take advantage of one while tellin' your girlfriend you're not interested!" 

Throttle snorted. "Nobody has ever taken advantage of Trash in a bedroom." He thumped Ryan's chest. "But you better get over your," he thumped again, "jealousy and insecurities while you," he thumped again, "still have a team!" 

Ryan jerked out of range. "You have a lot of nerve telling me what to do! Do I look fuzzy?" 

"Make all the personal bonehead moves you want, but I'm not gonna let you endanger another person. It doesn't matter if she's a member of your team or not." 

"Where were you when she decided to throw herself under a pile of rocks?" Ryan snarled back. 

"Watching her shove your ass out of the way." 

"And what kinda lousy leader has their team members commit suicide instead of letting their leader rescue them?" 

"That had nothing to do with you as a leader. She saw the man she loves in danger and got him out without thinking about herself." 

"Now I know you're loco, Martian. Trash in love with me? She hates me. She always said my leading would get someone killed." 

"Your leading had nothing to do with what happened to Trash. Hell, you didn't even give an order." Throttle sighed. "You need to stop worrying about your abilities. You're a fine leader when you're not letting your emotions make you a bonehead. Why don't you tell her how you feel?" 

"I **was** telling her how I felt about her behavior on the field." 

Throttle's shades dropped down his snout and he stared at Ryan over the rims. "You covered your fear with anger and took it out on her. And man, you ain't doin' much better with me." 

"Fear? Fear of what?" 

"Losing her." 

Ryan's mouth moved a while before he could say anything. "I don't want to lose any Bones." 

Throttle chuckled as he sat on a crate. "You two keep going round makin' each other jealous and doin' a damn good job of it too." 

"Jealous? You're crazy, Martian. Trash hates me; she always has." Ryan paced a little in front of Throttle. "And I'm not in love with her. I'm hardly her type." He swallowed down a bitter lump. "She likes... well... everything that's not me. All she does is make snide comments about me." 

"When have you ever treated her with respect?" Throttle countered. "You both cut each other down and cut your hearts in the process." His husky voice softened slightly. "It's one thing to lie to her, but at least be honest to yourself." 

Ryan fell heavily onto a crate. "It's not supposed to be Trash. Allie and me were supposed to be together forever." 

"And what did Allie say 'bout that?" 

"She always said she didn't love me like that. And with the way her and Mike act, I guess she wasn't lying. But Trash is... and I...." Crashing headfirst into a brick wall would be easier than getting his thoughts in order. "I can't imagine life without her." 

"Don't you think she needs to know that?" 

"But she hates me!" 

"She should after what you did." Charley's scathing voice preceded her arrival. Her green eyes flashed as she planted her hands on her hips. "They say don't upset the patient for a reason, you know!" 

Ryan looked down at the floor. "I lost my temper. I'm sorry." 

"I'm not the one you should apologize to." 

"Did I make things worse?" 

"Not if you wanted to convince her you hate her." 

Ryan blinked at her while the meaning slowly penetrated. If Trash thought he hated her.... "I've gotta talk to her." 

"Are you gonna talk this time?" Throttle asked. 

"Yes, I'll talk this time. I won't make her cry." Ryan headed back into the spaceship. 

"I've been reasoning with him for a good five minutes," Throttle sounded like he was following, "and you get him movin in five seconds." 

"It's a woman thing." 

Ryan headed up the ramp into the ship and went straight to Trash's room. "Trash?" The bed was empty. "She's gone!" 

"What?" Charley rushed up behind him. "She's in no condition to go anywhere." 

"That won't stop Trash. Mind over matter takes a whole new level with her." Ryan sighed. 

"We better find her before she hurts herself." Throttle started down the hall. 

"Biker Trash is on the North Avenue Beach on Lake Michigan." An electronic voice spoke up. 

"How the heck did she get there, MC?" Charley demanded. 

"Via the transport booth. There were no restrictions placed on her using it. She was warned about her medical condition." 

Ryan's chest felt tight. "But she insisted on going. I better go get her." He headed back down the ramp. 

"Wait a second. MC, can the transport booth hurt her?" Charley drummed her fingers on her hips. 

"No, merely her trying to stay on her feet." 

"That's what I figured." Charley disappeared down the spaceship's hall and ran back. She tossed a small black box to Ryan. "A transport remote. That way you don't have to ride her back on a bike." 

"Thanks." Ryan ducked out of the ship and headed for the elevator. He felt like kicking himself in the ass. Trash in love with him and all he could do was whine about Allie. How much that must've hurt her. He squared his shoulders. He would fix it; he had to. 

* * *

Modo chuckled as the baby grabbed the top of his boots and pulled himself up. "Ready to start walkin' already, li'l fella?" 

The baby looked up at him and blew a raspberry. He wobbled, but grabbed Modo's hands. He tried to step on Modo's foot. 

"Too bad we ain't got stuff for ya to play with. Maybe I'll send Vinnie to get ya somethin." Somebody came into the lounge. Modo glanced over his shoulders and saw a golden cat girl. "Hi, don't think we've met, ma'am. Modo." 

"Hi, I'm Di." She partially leaned over the couch, keeping her back as straight as possible. "I hope you're not allergic to me too." 

"Met Vinnie?" 

"Sorta. His girlfriend was patching me up and he came in. He managed to say his name between sneezes." 

He chuckled. "I'm not allergic. Come sit down. Maybe ya should look over the baby. Yer a doctor or something, right?" 

"Something," Di agreed with a smile as she joined Modo on the couch. "You'll have to bring him to me." She grimaced settling on the cushion. 

"No problem," Modo hoisted the baby to her lap. "Charley found him with the other prisoners." 

"Well Val Tech took good care of you, yes they did. Noticed anything wrong with him?" 

"Nah, but I don't know much 'bout human babies." 

She studied the baby quickly. "Other than this puncture mark on his arm, I don't see anything wrong. Course, I'd need more equipment for a detailed exam." She tickled the baby and pointed out the puncture mark on his arm. "Looks like someone drew some blood recently. Now why would they do that?" 

"Would Val Tech do to him what they're doin' to Zack? Already I mean." Modo tried not to frown because the baby was looking up at him. 

"They have before, but they usually don't keep drawing blood afterwards. This is just a few days old." Di passed him back to Modo. "I wonder." 

Modo bounced the baby on his knee. "Wonder what?" 

"I keep finding notes on the progeny in Val Tech's information. Maybe that's supposed to be this baby." 

"What do they say about him?" 

Her face furrowed. "Trying to figure out why he's surviving," she answered in a low voice. "Oh my God, you're a second gen." 

The baby clapped his hands. 

"A what?" 

Di's green-gold eyes shone. "A baby of two Mutates, and he's survived. None of the others have." She stood up quickly and hissed. "I have to stop that! I've got to look at those notes again." 

Modo continued to bounce the baby as she ran from the room. "Well, I hope they got yer name somewhere in those notes." 


	27. Chapter 26: Breakthroughs

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Twenty-six  
Breakthroughs**

The sun beamed down on her black leather jacket, her exposed T-shirt, her blue jean-clad legs, and the cast on her right arm. Warmer out here than she had been inside the spaceship, but it didn't seem to touch the inner chill. Trash sighed and shifted her heavy arm on her stomach. Nothing got rid of that chill. _Face it, Trash-girl. You're stuck with it._ Stuck like the itch under the cast. She gritted her teeth and tried to ignore that sensation. 

A shadow fell over her face. She cracked open her good eye. A boy with sun-bleached blond hair stared down at her. "This is what happens when you don't wear a helmet, kiddo." 

The boy's eyes opened wide and he retreated, scampering his bathing-suited butt back to mommy. Trash closed her eye again. "My public safety message for the day." 

The gentle lapping sound had just lulled her to nearly dozing when a shadow fell over her face again. Trash frowned. "Beat it, kid. I'm not a scenic attraction." 

"But such a sight to see," an unmistakable voice answered. 

Trash's heart pounded as she jerked open her eye. Ryan knelt on the pavement next to her. She licked her suddenly dry lips. "The talkin' ship ratted on me, huh?" 

"You should be in bed." 

"Goddamnit, Ryan! You're not my mother either." 

"No, I'm not." He reached out and brushed a lock of hair off her face. "But I don't like to see you hurt either." 

Her mouth went dry. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with Ryan?" 

He looked sheepish. "I haven't done a real good job of showing that I care, have I?" 

"Well, if it were your job, I would've done fired you." Trash looked away. It was just the same old thing, forgive me and come back and be a good girl. She swallowed hard. 

"Yeah, you and everybody else. I was scared and I shouldn't've took it out on you. I'm sorry." 

"Everyone makes mistakes. Whatever." 

"Will you take the walls down, please? I'm trying to tell you how important you are and you're not making it very easy." 

"Why should I? Sheesh, I know how important I am to the team, to the cause. I know how much you'd hate to see anything happen on your watch. You know I'm gonna come back; where else do I have to go? So let's just skip everything that makes us uncomfortable." 

"So we can keep sniping at each other? That's just stupid." 

The tears under her swollen eyelid stung. "Course it's stupid; it's my idea. But at least it's not as stupid as moonin' over a girl who doesn't love you back!" 

"Stop it, Trash! I'm trying to tell you how important you are to me and you keep changin' the subject! I **don't** love Allie and **I** hate to see anything bad happen to you!" 

She tried to sit up, but the pain from the sudden movement caught her breath and made her vision swim. Ryan grabbed her and eased her back down. Her vision cleared and he was still leaning over her. "You don't love Allie?" 

"It was easier to say I loved her than admit the truth." He leaned closer and brushed his lips against hers. She surprised him by rapidly capturing his mouth and deepening the kiss. When they pulled back, he said, "I love you." 

She sniffled. "You have lousy timing. Now you make a move and I'm in pieces and we can't do anything!" 

"Trash, you nut. Don't you love me too?" He laughed. 

She touched his cheek with her good hand. "Call me Victoria, please, Ryan." 

"As long as you're the queen of my heart." He held her hand and kissed her again. 

* * *

Manuelo surveyed the ruined apartment complex from behind the yellow caution tape. He kept a firm hold on Felipe's hand, but the boy didn't want to wander. The doors, along with a lot of the surrounding wall, had been wrenched out of place. A fissure spread from that hole all the way up to the roof. He could barely make out any interior details, but it looked like some of the upper floors were buckled. 

Felipe tugged on his hand. "Where are we gonna have my birthday party now, Daddy?" 

"We will find a place, Felipe. Mama and Papa have not forgotten." Manuelo watched the police and firemen come out of the building. 

He wasn't the only one watching them. A crowd had gathered around the activity on this Sunday afternoon. The plump, African-American woman dressed in an immaculate skirt suit led a camera crew out of the crowd to the police officer who moved closest to the yellow tape. "Tara Diddle," she said quickly to introduce herself. "Can you tell us what happened here this past Thursday night?" 

"The investigation isn't finished yet. But we think it's the same phenomena that keeps hitting the Limburger Tower." 

"But what about the reports that there was an attack and people were kidnapped?" She thrust the microphone closer. 

"No one was kidnapped. We found all the present inhabitants in a downtown hotel. Excuse me." He turned back to the group of safety officials. 

Manuelo sighed to release the growing frustration. _Damned gringos! Of course, what happens to us never matters. If it were not for the Biker Mice, this city would have done fell apart._

Tara Diddle had found her next interview victim. "Mayor Weakley!" 

The mayor smoothed his grey hair and tugged his waistcoat into place before addressing the camera. "This is a terrible tragedy, just terrible. We must all count our blessings that no one died in this calamity. My administration will be expediting every course of action available to get these people housed again." 

"But what caused the structural damage?" 

"I haven't been appraised of that. The city building inspectors need... yes, can I help you?" 

The athletic, young man in a three-piece-suit walked up to the news group. "Hello, Mr. Mayor. I'm a representative of Val Tech, incorporated. Our company heard of what happened and wish to make a donation to aid the unfortunate victims." 

The mayor hesitantly took the check. His jaw dropped as he scanned the slip of paper. "On behalf of the victims, I would like to say thank you!" 

Manuelo turned away. "Come on, Felipe. Let's go back to the hotel." 

* * *

Leo dozed to the sound of a keyboard clacking. Occasionally, he woke up to find Donnie still staring at the laptop screen. Di was still curled up next to him on the bed. Leo closed his eyes and readjusted how he sat. He just hoped he wouldn't have to use the acupressure point to knock Donnie out too. 

He didn't need to worry. The next time he woke up, Donnie was leaning back on the pillows. Leo didn't make any extra noise dozing off again. 

Di woke him up next. She made a light growling noise as she arched her back on her hands and knees. She stopped stretching and looked at both Turtles with a suspicious face. "Which one of you gave me a tranq?" 

"It was acupressure and you needed the sleep," Leo answered. Donnie apparently had swallowed his tongue while staring at her. 

"I don't like those decisions taken out of my hands." 

"We asked you when you had last slept. You didn't remember." 

"But Zack and the baby?" 

"You have a responsibility to keep yourself healthy." Donnie's face reddened, and he turned back to the screen. "Your back feeling better?" 

"Doesn't hurt at all. I'll have to find out what that stuff is." She blushed and scrambled to a sitting position. "Um, have you figured anything out?" 

"Look at this." They bent their heads over the laptop. Leo shook his head and ignored their scientific babble. He closed his eyes. 

"I've crossed the modeled mutations against what they mapped of the baby's DNA. This chain of nucleotides is key to both." 

"I don't have access to my notes on other Mutates." 

"Well, I can pull up what the ship's onboard computer has been trying to tabulate on Zack. Here it is." Donnie clicked on the keyboard. 

"The chain's unhooked, but so are a lot of the chains." 

"Yeah, look at the time lapse. The nucleotides in it aren't shifting at all." 

"What happens when the mutation period ends?" Di asked. 

"MC, that's the computer, has been running on those formulas." 

Leo dozed off and jerked awake with Di's loud exclamation. "Fetus DNA manipulation on the children of people who have had their own genes manipulated!" 

"That might be too late. You're probably gonna have to do in vitro treatments. But this doesn't help Zack." 

"We need to guide the mutation. I guess we should break apart the mutation formula and see what chemical is responsible for what." 

Leo's head dropped again. Donnie woke him up. "We need to run blood tests. How many sources do we have?" 

"Allie, Ryan, Charley, and Tala. That's four, should give us a good sampling," Di answered. 

"Then let's get started." Donnie closed the laptop and swung his legs off the bed. 

"Careful," Leo sat up. 

"I'm not gonna expire just by moving," his brother answered, annoyed. 

"You were bad sick." 

Donnie shook his head and headed out the door. Di slid off the bed. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him." 

"Okay with me." Leo shut his eyes as she left. 

* * *

Vinnie set down the box in the corner of the hanger bay and made a face at the dust marking his white fur. "Babe, come on. There's so much more fun stuff we can do." 

Tala shoved a crate next to his. "Sorry, this has to be done. You don't hear Sparks complaining." 

The younger mouse set a smaller crate on top of Vinnie's. "I figured you're gonna shoot him eventually, and I better stick around and watch." He gingerly rubbed his upper right arm. 

"Very funny, you little shrimp." 

"I don't think she'd shoot to kill ya." 

Tala wiped her forehead with her arm. "Less yappin', more movin', and we're done sooner." 

Vinnie heaved a sigh and headed for the elevator. "If you wanna see me flex, you don't need all this pretense." 

"Humor me." 

Mike grabbed hold under the ship and swung his body off the ramp. "Moving day?" 

"Cleaning," Tala answered. "This is stuff I'm not using. Next trip out, I'll deliver to someone who can." 

"Need help?" He dropped to the floor. 

"Where's your better half?" Vinnie asked with a smirk. 

"Donating blood made her sleepy, so I tucked her in." Mike slammed the elevator gate closed. "And she won't sleep if I stay with her." 

"Are they gonna be able to fix Zack?" Sparks asked. 

"They don't know yet. Ryan ain't got back, and I think only havin' two sources of human blood is botherin' the eggheads." 

"I'm so sorry I got my DNA altered years before meeting you people." Tala jerked open the gate once they reached the floor under her loft. "My dreams didn't tell me not to do it." 

"Huh?" Vinnie trotted after her. "What do you mean 'your dreams didn't tell you not to do it'?" 

She mimed banging her head against the doorjamb of one of the rooms, but made sure it didn't actually hit. "How do you manage to do this?" 

"What?" 

"Get me to blurt out something I had no intentions of telling you." 

"I'm just good that way." Vinnie answered while hoping he was hiding his trepidation over her newest confession. 

"Apparently, it's something that runs in my clan, my family. They say my father dreamed true dreams." 

Precog visions, don't sweat it." Mike moved around Tala and Vinnie, and went into the room. "These the boxes to go up?" 

"Yes, but what do you mean 'precog'?" Tala hurried after him. 

"Precognition, that's Donnie's big word for it. Master Splinter calls 'em visions and that's just easier to say." 

"You Turtles have it too?" 

"I have it. Leo, if he gets anything, it's focused on the present. Raph's never said but I don't think he does. Donnie can't explain how it happens so he can't experience it. Master Splinter says you either have the gift or a very open mind. Heck, I can qualify for the most open mind on the planet." 

"So you have true dreams?" Tala's voice held a degree of desperation. Vinnie stared at her. 

"Yeah. I dreamed 'bout Allie helpin' us attack the Tower. Knew he was an alien too. Didn't think that one had been a vision before seeing the building. Now that was a creep-out factor I didn't need." 

"But how do you deal with it?" 

He looked up at her quizzically. "You're not dreaming' 'bout the end of the world, are ya?" 

"No. Just some of them," her face reddened, "bother me." 

Mike shrugged. "Don't sweat it. The future is always fluid. Visions just give you an extra-edge if you can recognize it in time." 

"I feel like a freak," Tala said. 

"Humans have them too. Well, none I know personally, but they have lots of psychic stuff that gets wrote about. What 'bout Martians?" 

Vinnie blinked as the conversation was suddenly thrust back at him. "There's legends of people who saw the future. I think the monks had something they did to get visions. Must be something that's long gone. Sure didn't get help from those during the war." 

"But you do have records of it happen' before, so you're not a freak." Mike grabbed a large box and carried it out. 

Tala glanced at Vinnie and looked away. Vinnie's frowned at her hesitant expression. "Babe? It doesn't bother me. Sounds better than some of my nightmares. Course, I'd rather you dreamed 'bout me." 

Her cheeks flushed even brighter than they had before. "The nightmares have less backlash." She grabbed a crate and hurried from the room. 

Sparks looked up at Vinnie. "Why'd she react like that?" 

He grabbed a crate of his own and chased after her. "You do dream 'bout me! Dirty dreams?" 

"I never said that!" 

"Dirty dreams?" Sparks carried a box into the elevator. "What do ya mean?" 

Mike cleared his throat. "I think your dad would pitch a fit if we told you 'bout that." 

"He would," Tala said. 

"But there's something to it," Vinnie insisted. "She's redder than a stop light." 

"Does delinquency of a minor mean anything to you?" 

Vinnie set his crate on the floor and covered Sparks's ears. "Now Modo won't pound the living daylights out of us, what didja dream 'bout?" 

Her face got redder. "This is why I hate telling him anything," she confided to Mike. 

Sparks jerked his head free. "I hope you're still around when I'm as big as Dad!" 

"Like you'd be able to whip this mammajammer's tail then." He turned back to Tala. "Come on, Doll-face. Don'tcha wanna compare fantasy with reality?" 

"Why, when fantasy is always better?" Mike opened the elevator gate. 

"Whose side are you on?" Vinnie spluttered as he picked up his crate. 

He grinned, "This time? Her's." He dropped his crate in place with the others on the hanger bay floor. 

"Don't know why you're so upset, babe. I think it's flattering." 

"You would," Tala muttered as she dropped her crate onto the pile. 

Vinnie had to hurry to keep up. "I dream 'bout you." 

She snorted as she leaned against the elevator wall. "Every female you have ever met has paraded through you head at some point." 

Vinnie opened his mouth and shut it before managing a weak, "How didja know that?" 

"Lucky guess." 

Mike sent the elevator back down once everyone was inside. "It's a female thing. Allie always knows what I'm thinkin'." 

"Hmph. Doesn't get me any closer to knowing what she dreams about." 

"And nobody will tell me what you're talking 'bout," Sparks pouted. 

"Ask your father," Tala said. "And be sure to point out that Vinnie was the one who wouldn't drop it." 

"You could whisper it into my ear." 

"Or I could pin your ear to the wall." 

Mike snickered. "Come on, micro-mouse-dude. This is funny," he said to Sparks' dark expression. 

Vinnie glared at them before turning back to Tala. He flashed a winning smile. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." 

"Would you drop it, mouse scout!" 

Frustrated, Vinnie slumped against the wall and crossed his arms. Even talking about it bothered her? But if she didn't want to get teased about it, she shouldn't blush like crazy. Though now her expression was a mix of blush and fury. The elevator stopped and Tala shoved past him to get off first. "Tala." 

"Please don't make me hurt you." 

"Cheese, I just wanted to say don't be mad. We tease Charley all the time, just to see her face get all red." He brushed past her and grabbed one of the last crates. 

"I'm not Charley. And you need to learn when to stop." She picked up the last crate. 

"Righteous!" Mike pounced on an electric guitar that had been sitting in the corner behind the crates. "Does it work?" 

"Did when I put it down here." 

"Can I play it? Please?" The Turtle clasped his hands together. 

Tala blinked her grey-blue eyes. "Sure, if it means that much to you. Knock yourself out." 

"Thanks! Grab the amp, Sparks." 

* * *

"Leo." The hand grabbed his shoulder. 

"What is it? Something wrong with Zack?" He lurched more upright in the chair. 

Di stepped back. "No, we think we may have figured it out. But we need a source of DNA." 

Leo blinked a couple of times. "And you want mine?" 

"Zack's original DNA. Donnie was under the impression he packed a hairbrush or a toothbrush." 

"Yeah, I think he did. That stuff must be with the van. You want me to go get it." 

"That was the general idea. Did you need a cup of coffee or something?" 

"Nah, I'll be alright. The exercise will finish waking me up." 

"Then we'll go ahead and set up the extraction process." 

"Are you sure this is going to work?" 

Di hesitated. "The odds look favorable on the computer. But computers can't predict everything." 

"How's Donnie doing? Besides saying 'the probability is favorable.'" 

"Burying himself in the problem. It's not straining him physically." She slipped out of the bedroom. 

Leo shook his head. "He's gonna work himself into a coma." 

* * *

Mike kept checking the strings and plugs while they put up the last of the crates and moved back down to Tala's living room. The red-masked Turtle sulking on the couch groaned when he saw the guitar. "Where'd that come from?" 

"I bought it to experiment," Tala answered. "And I discovered I wasn't musically inclined." 

Mike gleefully connected the wires. "Grumpy-shell wouldn't let me bring mine." 

"Fourteen hours to drive is bad enough," Raph grumbled. "Fourteen hours listening to you practice is worse." 

Sparks limped to the couch. "Are you any good?" 

Mike grinned, switching on the amp with his foot , and let loose a wailing rift. Vinnie's mouth dropped open as he recognized "Enter the Sandman" by Metallica. It ended roughly as Mike lost the notes. "Ack, used to Jimi." 

"Wow!" Sparks gushed. "Jimi?" 

"My guitar. Donnie custom-built it for me." He adjusted the strings. 

Vinnie sat down next to Tala. "Truce?" 

"Just believe me next time when I say I don't want to talk about it." 

Vinnie nodded vigorously. 

"Why didja name it Jimi?" Sparks asked. 

"After Hendrix, the guitar god." Mike sighed as Sparks's blank expression. "You are so young. If we've got the time, we'll work on your music education." 

Sparks made a face. "Don't you dare. Charley might remember 'bout my homework." 

"Where'd Charley-girl go anyway?" Vinnie glanced around the room to double-check that she wasn't there. 

"Said something about getting a car back to a customer," Raph answered. "Throttle went with her." 

"Howdya learn to play?" Sparks asked. 

"Taught myself. Hafta have an outlet for venting. And music soothes the savage beast, accordin' to Master Splinter." 

Vinnie glanced at the sour-faced Turtle in the red mask. "Doesn't look like it's working." 

"Wrong savage beast." Allie's weary voice carried from the stairwell door. 

Mike looked up, concern radiating from his brown eyes as he continued to adjust the guitar. "Sleep any?" 

She kissed his cheek. "A little. Play something soothing." She curled up next to Sparks on the semi-circular couch. 

Raph made a disgusted sound in his throat. "How 'bout 'Shot Through the Heart'?" 

Mike gave him a brief scowl. "First, the title is 'You Give Love a Bad Name.' Second, I would never play that for my girl. Third, it ain't soothing. And fourth, I ain't taking requests from you." 

"You never take requests from me." 

"That's 'cause you think Nine Inch Nails is happy music." 

Mona let the stairwell door bang shut after her. "So this is where everyone else ended up." 

"Not everybody," Tala said. 

"Yeah, Modo and the baby are still up in the ship. And Leo went out." Mona sat down next to Allie and rubbed her back. "Holdin' up?" 

"Best as I can." 

Vinnie didn't think Raph could scowl harder, but he found he was wrong. He looked at the lizard-girl and jerked his gaze away. It kept returning to her. Mona didn't look at him though. 

"Got the song." Mike started playing a soft ballad. 

Mona turned to look at him with a smile. She turned back and started singing. 

**_I could start dreamin' but it'd never end  
As long as you're here we may as well pretend  
I've been dreamin'  
Straight from the heart_**

Vinnie remembered a guy had sung this song before, but it didn't matter with the set of lungs Mona had. Her brown eyes shut mostly as she concentrated. 

**_You said it's easy but who's to say  
That we'd be able to keep it this way  
But it's easier  
Comin' straight from the heart  
  
Give it to me straight from the heart  
Tell me we can make another start  
You know I'll never go--as long as I know  
It's comin' straight from the heart_**

Vinnie glanced at Raph. His surly expression was replaced by longing as he stared at Mona. He was in love with her? Vinnie jerked his head back to Mona and back to Raph. 

**_I'll see you on the street some other time  
And all our words would just fall out of line  
While we're dreamin'  
Straight from the heart  
  
Give it to me straight from the heart  
Tell me we can make one more start_**

Mona opened her eyes and look at Raph. His expression shifted back to resentful. Her singing faltered. Raph looked away. Mona blinked rapidly and pushed off the couch. 

"Mona?" Allie asked, glancing at Raph. 

"I hafta go. I hafta go!" She fled through the stairwell door. 

She turned back to the Turtle. "Raph." 

"What? I didn't do anything." 

"That's the problem," Mike added. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You're being a jerk. Go talk to her." 

"Mind your own business, Mikey." Raph crossed his arms. 

"I didn't think even you could stay mad at her just for being a friend," Allie said. "She knew you'd be pissed over her going with me, but...." 

"It doesn't make any difference!" Raph jumped to his feet. "She was only usin' me to get close to you. She was investigating the Ronin." 

"You were a bonus," Allie answered coldly. "Though what she sees in you is completely unknown." 

"Maybe she likes a challenge," Vinnie suggested. 

"She lied to us." Raph seethed. 

"She didn't tell you about Mutates stuff 'cause she couldn't. Kinda like you don't want me or any of the other humans you know telling Chief Sterns where you live." Allie shook her head. 

"Give it up, Al," Mike advised as started playing again. "He wants to be miserable." 

"I do not!" 

"Then why aren't you talking to her?" Tala asked. 

Raph glared at everyone in turn and then stormed out of the loft through the stairwell door. Mike chuckled. "Maybe we finally got through his thick skull." 

* * *

Di scraped her bottom lip lightly against her fangs. This wasn't how she wanted this handled. She supposed it was her own fault; she was the one who insisted on explaining how things stood to Allie. Donnie hadn't understood. A real doctor explains things to the patient and family. She might not be a doctor by credentials, but she had to follow the ethics. 

Of course, Allie hadn't reacted rationally at all. Maybe it wasn't fair to expect that from her upon learning her brother had a fifty-percent chance of survival. It was a good thing Mike had been present or she may have broke down completely. But they both insisted on giving the choice of treatment to Zack. What a choice: a chance at dying with an untested, guided mutation back to as close as the original state they could get or life as a Mutate. Di really didn't like handing over the choice to Zack; it reeked of her father's tactics. 

Her tail swished, accidentally hitting Donnie. He looked up from the computer terminal built into the sickbay, then glanced over his shoulder at the scene she stared at. He brushed his hand against hers and grabbed it. 

Allie held Zack's hand. Mike hovered behind her. Zack's breathing finally changed slightly. "Hey Sis." 

"Hey, Zack." 

"Not gonna do somethin' stupid 'gin?" 

She took a shaky breath. "No, this is about you. Donnie and Di have been working on a way to fix you." 

His head lifted a little at that. "Figured it out?" 

"They figured out somethin'," Mike answered. 

"Whatcha waitin' for?" 

Di spoke up at that. "Zack, I don't think you understand. Your body has been through a lot of physical stress. There's a big chance it could kill you." 

He managed to prop himself up on an elbow and turn his head to look at Di. "Never tell me d'odds. 'Sides, trust you." He lay back down on his stomach. "Allie?" 

"Yeah?" 

"The ring of Mom's that you said I could have. Can you give it to Karen if I can't?" 

Allie's eyes opened wide. "Sure, if that's what you want." 

"Wanna give it m'self, but you taught me to cover my bases." 

She smoothed back Zack's hair from his face. "Rest now, 'kay?" Mike set his hands on her shoulders. 

Di swallowed hard. Donnie squeezed her hand. "It'll work." 

"Does anyone else think it's cool he can still quote _Star Wars_ at a time like this?" Mike asked. 

"Nobody's ever tried a guided mutation before," Di answered Donnie. 

"On this planet." 

She frowned, "So Raph's not the only one with problems trusting alien tech." 

"It worked for me." Di couldn't think of response for that, and he continued. "It'll work for Zack. We know what to do, the tech is just the means. Besides, that Tala seems perfectly healthy, and her computer says it was done to her." 

She sighed, _But she hadn't gone through everything Zack has._ She didn't voice the thought. 


	28. Chapter 27: Waiting

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Twenty-seven  
Waiting**

The stairwell door slammed behind Raphael. _What does Michaelangelo know 'bout it anyway! Look at his psycho girl._ Who had been the best thing to ever happen to Mikey, he had to admit. That didn't make him feel any better. He stormed up to the roof, passing Di on the way. 

Mona was curled up against the parapet wall, hidden from the sinking sun, and surprising him with a hiccuping sound. Her head jerked up when the door slammed shut. "Just leave me alone!" 

"I want to! Everybody else told me to talk to you!" 

She ran her hands across her cheeks. "You wanna break up, fine. But be honest about it! I went with Allie 'cause she's my friend and she needed help. You got a jealousy problem with her, but don't take it out on me!" 

"This ain't 'bout Allie! You used me to do your job!" 

"Do I look like James Bomb? I didn't need you to find the Ronin, I had my own leads." She turned her gaze away. "You mowed me down and didn't care that I was a freak. And like an idiot, I believed you." 

"You're not an idiot," Raph said. "And stop callin' yourself a freak; you're not one of those either." 

"You don't want anything to do with me now." Mona stared past him. 

"That's not true! I do want you. You don't want me!" 

"That's not true either! You've been the only thing I've been thinking about for the last three months." 

"I can't stop thinkin' of you either." 

"Then why are we fighting?" 

"I don't know!" Raph stared down at her sad face. He sighed, and knelt beside her. "I just want things to be good." 

She looked at him. "You're trying to shut us down before we even get started. I never lied to you 'bout my feelings. I just didn't tell you 'bout Mutates stuff 'cause I couldn't." 

"I know that." He looked away. "I know I've been a jerk." 

"You seem to stay that way." 

"Yeah, I do. Can't blame you if you don't want anything to do with me now." 

"I just can't give up on you like that. But I am going to go with my first response if this happens again." Mona wiped her face with her hands. 

"And what is that?" 

"Hit you upside your head." 

Raph's mouth twitched. "You'd be the only one I let get away with it." He took hold of her and drew her closer. 

"I like the direct approach." Mona murmured as she closed the distance between their lips. 

* * *

Throttle gently brushed Charley's chestnut hair from her face. She murmured drowsily as her head shifted on his lap. He smiled as he looked back up at her living room. Finally, some peace and quiet with his girl and she was exhausted. Not that he minded guarding her rest. It had been grueling these past few days. And then the first thing she did on getting back to the garage with the parts she wanted from the scoreboard was to go to work on the yellow van. "You work too hard, my girl," he whispered. 

She rolled over slightly and opened her green eyes. "Throttle?" 

"Yeah, beautiful sleepyhead. Good nap?" 

"You shouldn't have let me fall asleep. Don'tcha want any supper?" She struggled to sit up. 

"No hurries. I thought I'd treat you." 

She knelt on the couch and leaned against him. "More avoiding the crowd at Tala's?" 

"I just hate to share you." He kissed her gently, but hearing a stealthy footstep made him break it off. He set his finger against her lips. Charley kept silent. Yeah, somebody was upstairs with them. He eased off the couch and drew his blaster. 

Charley correctly interpreted his signal to keep talking. "So what do you want for supper? I don't want hot dogs. We already had Chinese and you hate Mexican." Throttle eased to the wall; his blaster held ready. He peered into her empty bedroom. 

"Have somethin' against pizza?" A familiar voice said behind her. 

Charley made a shrill noise and whirled around. Throttle swiveled to aim his blaster. Leo jumped back. "Stop doing that!" Charley shouted. 

"You better be glad I don't have a hair trigger." Throttle holstered his gun. 

Leo smirked. "You got better hearing than a human. I'll remember that." 

"What are you doing here?" Charley demanded. 

"Sorry, Di sent me to get Zack's hairbrush. Somethin' about getting his original DNA. You hadn't done anything 'bout the broken window, so I came in through there." 

"What broken window!" Charley stormed to her guest bedroom. 

"She really doesn't like people sneaking up on her, huh?" Leo turned to Throttle. 

Throttle shrugged, "We've been rudely interrupted before. Need a board, babe?" 

"Yeah, I'll dig up the hammer and nails." 

Leo followed Throttle down stairs and stopped at the door between the kitchen and the garage. He stared at the partially demolished van. "Donnie's gonna have a fit." 

"Charley will get it put back together. She's already done a lot." Throttle chuckled as he headed out the back door. Charley kept spare building materials in a shed behind the garage. He found a piece of plywood small enough to cover the window and brought it in. 

Charley was rooting through her tool chest. "But they're not sure if it's gonna work?" 

Leo's voice came out of the van. "You can't ever get an absolute statement outta Donnie. The most you'll get from him is _the probability is favorable_. And Di's even worse about it. But Zack's strong. He'll pull through it." 

"Found a cure for Zack?" Throttle rested the board against his leg. 

"Maybe, maybe not. And that's why I'm here looking for his book sack." 

"I thought I pulled everything out," Charley said. 

"Found it. Wedged under the bench." Leo grunted as he pulled it free, and finally emerged triumphant from the van. "Better get this back and see if Mikey needs backup." 

"What is Mike doing now?" Throttle asked. 

"Keeping Allie under control. I doubt she's taking Zack undergoing a dangerous operation or something very well. See you guys later." 

Charley finally pulled the hammer out of her tool chest. "Poor Zack. A kid shouldn't go through that much." 

"Nobody should. Guess it's back to Tala's after we fix the window." Throttle hoisted the board. 

"They probably wouldn't miss us." 

"True, but we should be there all the same." 

She sighed. "No, I guess working isn't a good enough excuse. I'm never going to get that van done at this rate." 

"You're the best, Charley-girl. Of course, you will." 

* * *

Di delicately inserted the needle into the IV tube in Zack's arm. The new set up would carry the chemicals to his bloodstream quicker than an injection. This was going to work. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Donnie patiently mixing at the cubicle recessed into the wall for such preparations. This was going to work. And if she repeated that to herself enough, maybe it would come true. Zack slept quietly under the anesthetic. The computer, MC, monitored his stats through the sensor pads stuck to his flesh. That much was ready. 

Donnie lurched suddenly, grabbing the cubicle's edge. She moved quickly to his side. "Are you all right?" 

He ran his free hand across his face. "You better finish mixing this stuff. I'll... I'll double-check the algorithms." He tried to move to the computer chair, but stumbled. 

Di didn't relinquish her hold until he was seated. "What's wrong?" 

"Nothing." 

"Try again." 

He sighed. "It comes in a rush, tired and dizzy. Then it goes away. I'll be alright." 

"You're pushing yourself too hard." She brushed her fingers across the top of his head. 

"If I don't, Zack pays for it. Can't have that. Besides, it doesn't explain why my leg goes numb." 

She winced, "Lasting damage, I thought I had taken that into account. I'm sorry." 

He squeezed her hand. "We don't know that yet. I can handle this. So don't go worrying Leo." 

"They should know. They're your brothers." 

"And I'll tell them if it's permanent. It won't be a bad thing. I'd like to have a good reason Leo and Raph can't argue with to give up fighting. Never liked doing it anyway." 

"We all have duties we dislike." 

"Yeah, and it's worse when you don't wanna let down the people you love." He released her hand after one final squeeze. "We'll survive." 

"No, we'll prevail." She caressed his head one final time, and turned to the chemicals. 

* * *

The blue glow faded, and Ryan, Trash, and Ryan's bike were inside the cylinder booth inside the ship. "Man, this thing could put the airlines out of business." Trash leaned heavily against him. 

He swallowed his worries about her health. "Yeah, but I'd miss those tiny bags of peanuts. Come on, let's get you back to bed." 

"But you're not gonna let me do anything fun there," she complained as they moved slowly out of the cargo bay. 

"So we can have fun later, remember?" 

"Oh yeah. Wait a sec." She made him pause at the door into the lounge area of the spaceship. Throttle and Charley were inside talking quietly to Leo, Modo, and Sparks. 

"Trash." 

The tan mouse heard them first and turned. 

"It's cool, Ryan-babe." She looked into the room and said in a louder voice. "Throttle, Charley, I'm sorry 'bout bein' a loud-mouth bitch. Okay, time for the bed rest." 

He shook his head as he helped her down the hall. "You're a piece of work, Victoria." 

"What? Are you saying I shouldn't apologize?" 

Leo jogged out of the lounge. "Ryan, they started a treatment on Zack. Thought you should know." 

"They think they can cure it?" Trash blinked. 

"I'm not exactly sure what they're doing. Di calls it a guided mutation." 

"What are his chances?" 

Leo didn't meet Ryan's eyes. "Too close for betting." 

Ryan swallowed hard. "Come on, let's get you back to bed." 

Trash didn't protest. "I like Zack. Why does it have to be Zack?" 

"I don't know." He brushed her black hair onto the pillow. "I wish it wasn't. But all we can do now is wait. And hope." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. 

* * *

Mona laid her head on Raph's chest. His arms tightened around her. "Do you hate me?" 

"Why would I hate you?" 

"Cause I don't want Zack to be human if I can't. How awful is that? To wish it on a kid?" 

"Mona." 

"I had a life! Is it so wrong to want it back?" 

"No, it isn't, but you have a life now. It's not a great one, you gotta put up with me--" 

She cut him off with a kiss. "You are the best thing to happen to me in a long time." 

"Damn, babe, you have had it bad." 

"But there are so many that have it worse." 

He hugged her tighter. "Come on, babe. There is always gonna be someone worse off than you are. You gotta concentrate on what's good." 

"Like you do?" 

"Okay, should I stop rewriting Splinter's speeches to me?" 

"I don't know." Her head drooped. "I don't want Zack to die. And I don't wanna be a freak." 

"You're not a freak. And I'll kick the crap out of the first person to call you one." He took a deep breath. "Besides, neither one of us wants to see Allie go to Japan and end up dead." 

"No, we don't." 

* * *

Eight shifted through the contents of the pantry and frowned. He pulled a few boxes off their shelves and then decided to add a few cans to the pile on the counter. He turned to Smarts, who leaned over island counter, and signed *They went grocery shopping?* 

"Well, not everyone can aspire to become a gourmet chef." 

Eight turned away with a snort. _I am not a gourmet chef, problem with you kids is all you eat is fast food junk._ A methodical search of the cabinets reveled a decent set of pots and pans that had hardly been used. What everyone was going to need when all this worrying was over was some stick-to-your-ribs food. 

He heard the stairwell door open. "You are the only one who has said his odds are any good. And you don't have a medical degree," Tala said. 

"It's not about havin' a medical degree. If you don't believe, naturally you're going to fail," Vinnie said. 

"I can't believe you of all people are giving a lecture on faith." The couple walked around the screen set up near the kitchen and Tala stopped. "What are you doing?" 

Eight stopped stirring long enough to answer. *Cooking.* 

"What was that?" 

"Cooking," Smarts answered. "Shocking, the amount of people who do not understand sign language." 

"Never had a reason to learn. Now why is he cooking?" 

"It's his way to deal with a crisis." 

*People still need to eat.* This turning back and forth to sign was going to get old quick, but he had to put his comments in. 

Smarts translated as Eight turned back to the stove. "And people still need to eat." 

"So you two don't think he's gonna make it either?" Vinnie crossed his arms. 

Eight glanced at Smarts, then at the white mouse. *I want him to make it.* 

"We both want him to make it. To lose him would crush Allie-Cat," Smarts said. 

"I thought her name was Di?" 

"Allie's nickname with us was Allie-Cat. Skulls always said he found her like one." 

"Oh, a street kid." 

"Zack is probably the reason she never became a criminal," Smarts said. 

*You're wrong there. Allie-Cat is too honorable.* Eight signed to Smarts, followed with an admonishing finger shake. 

"You're just inclined to think the best of everyone." 

"Don't you hate being left out of the loop," Tala muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. 

"Yeap. Let's go get that shoppin' for Modo done. Is he a Mr. Mom or what?" Vinnie laughed as he dragged Tala back to the stairwell door. 

"Don't destroy my kitchen!" 

*I think she has trust issues.* Eight laughed as he turned back to the food. 

Smarts nodded. "You might be correct." 

* * *

"He is much better behaved with you." Charley leaned on Modo's shoulder as she looked down at the baby he was feeding. 

"It's just a matter of know what to do. I thought all girls were naturals at this stuff." 

She stifled her laughter. "Go suggest that to Tala." 

"I'm waitin' for Vinnie's verdict on if she's a girl or not." He glanced around the lounge before confiding in her. "I'm worried 'bout Sparks. I tried to get him to go with Vinnie and Tala and he wouldn't." 

"I don't think he's ever had a best friend before. And for some reason, he's picked Zack." 

"I know, and that's what makes this so hard. All I want to do is get him away from this, and he won't get out of the middle of it." 

"I don't know what to tell you, Modo. I'm no good with these situations either." She rubbed his shoulder. 

"Hmm, think Tala let me put in a long distance call to Momma?" 

Charley smiled. "Does she even know about Sparks yet?" 

"Come on, we've been really busy since we got back. Besides, I gotta think of the right way to say it. Momma was always big on gettin' married. How am I supposed to tell her I didn't?" 

Charley's answer was interrupted by a protesting cry. "But I wasn't doing anything!" 

She turned from the couch to see Throttle dragging Sparks through the door by the scruff of his neck. "You don't need to be sittin' out there where they'll trip over you if there is an emergency." 

"Sparks, you know better," Modo said. 

"Yes, sir." 

Throttle released him with a sigh. Charley offered what she hoped was a sympathetic smile to Throttle's bleak expression. He shook his head and retreated. She took a step away from the couch. "Do you want some supper?" 

"I'm not hungry, Charley-ma'am." Sparks went around the couch, but sat on the floor. 

Modo reached over and petted his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay, son. Just wait and see." 

"Heard that song before." He pressed his face against his knees. 

* * *

Throttle reached the bottom of the ramp and sighed. 

"Your worries are over now." Leo sat cross-legged on the hanger floor. "What's the problem?" 

"Not so much worries as wonderin' when I became everybody's parent." 

"Everybody but Charley?" 

"Everybody but Charley," he leaned against a landing support. "But she's been motherin' us since we crashed." 

"Sounds like April. I think she's going be kicking our shells for letting her miss a chance to meet aliens." 

"If she's got anything close to Charley's temper, she will be," Throttle chuckled. 

"Charley has a temper?" 

"That's right, you missed the tug-a-war between her and Trash with me as the rope. Don't sweat it though. If Sparks has anything to say 'bout it, we'll probably take a road trip your way." 

Leo blinked. "Yeah, I heard him and you. But he's Modo's kid, right?" 

"That doesn't make a difference." 

"No, it doesn't." 

* * *

Mike handed Allie the mug of tea as he sat beside her. The bedroom on the spaceship still had medical equipment for Donnie in it. "It's not the stuff Splinter keeps." 

"That's okay." She held it in both hands and stared at the amber fluid. "I don't wanna go to Japan." 

"You're not going." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "It's gonna work out; trust Donnie. You won't hafta go to Japan and you won't hafta give Karen that ring." 

"Just friends," she snorted. "My little brother sure is slick." 

"Runs in the family." 

"I guess so, but poor Karen. You do realize she's still in the dark about you guys and the Foot?" 

"Well, there's plenty of time to catch her up before they tie the knot." 

"We'll see Casey and April march down the aisle before Zack tells Karen anything." She took a sip of the tea. 

"You might win that bet. They've been hittin' the datin' circuit pretty hard since you left. With each other." 

"Good for them." 

"Yeah, everybody's hopin' for the best--even Raph." 

"I hope Mona knocks some sense into him." 

Mike squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sure she will. She don't seem like the type that takes "no" for an answer." 

"She doesn't." Allie leaned against him. "I've been thinking." 

"You think too much, babe." 

"I know, but if Zack doesn't make it, I'm gonna have to liquidate our inheritance to afford the baby." 

"That ugly building your grandmother left you two?" She nodded. "I know babies are expensive, but isn't that overkill on diapers?" 

"To get the sperm. That's not cheap." 

"Oh. So you think that's a good idea?" 

"The only way not to lose you too. And quickest way to get a kid before going to Japan." Her lower lip trembled. 

"Zack is gonna be just fine. We're gonna have a baby when we both want it." 

"I'm so tired, Mike. I never wanted to worry about this." 

He took the mug from her. "Come on, lay down for a little while." He set the tea down on top of the boxy medical thingy. 

"Don't go." 

He brushed aside her blonde hair as he drew her into his embrace. "I'll never leave you." 


	29. Chapter 28: Outcome

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Twenty-eight  
Outcome**

Di staggered into the hall as she supported Donnie's weight. "Sorry," he said, "shell weighs a lot." 

"It's alright, I got you." 

"But who's got you?" 

The small, grey mouse headed out of the bedroom next to the medbay, but was jerked to a halt. Modo stepped forward with Sparks's tail in his flesh hand. "Ssh, you'll wake the baby." 

"What happened?" the kid demanded. 

"He lived through it," Di said. 

Modo halted Sparks's forward momentum again. "He needs rest and so do you." 

"But Dad!" 

He picked up his son. "No more _but Dad_'s. Yer tail is gettin' in bed and that's final." 

Throttle chuckled while the door shut. "I wonder if Bola ever had to do that with Modo." He eased Donnie's arm off Di's shoulders and around his back as he grabbed the Turtle's belt. "You two are 'bout to drop." 

"We still need to tell Allie and Mike and Leo." Di swayed and something looped around her waist that kept her from falling. She looked down and saw it was Throttle's tail. "Oh, I bet that comes in handy." 

"Yeah, it does. Don't worry 'bout tellin' the others, we'll do it. Then everybody can have some nap time." 

"He made it through the procedure. Don't know how well yet," Donnie said. 

"Right, right." one of the bedroom doors closest to the cockpit slid open in front of them. 

Allie bolted out of Mike's embrace and jumped to her feet. The Turtle stretched with a yawn as he sat up on the bed. 

Throttle chuckled. "You two wanna take their places?" He jerked his head at Donnie and Di. 

"Zack survived the procedure," Di began. 

Allie pushed them out of her way and ran down the hall. 

"Guess that's a yes." Mike yawned again. "You two can have the bed." 

"Get some rest, you deserve it." Throttle followed Mike out. 

"You can have the bed," Donnie said. 

"We'll both take the bed. And if anyone wants to get snide about it, they'll have to answer to me." 

"Yes, ma'am." 

* * *

His eyelids felt like lead, but they wanted to open. He managed a tiny crack. Oh good, someone put the lights on dim. He could manage a bigger crack. His sister was over him. She brushed his hair off his face. "It's okay, Zack. Everything went fine." 

Could he speak? He opened his mouth. "Feel funny." 

"Probably all the stuff that's been running through your bod." Mike's head leaned over Allie's shoulder. "But you're lookin' heaps better." 

"Tired." He took a deep breath. 

Allie fiddled with his hair some more. "Go ahead and sleep. You're safe now." 

Zack let his eyelids fall shut. 

* * *

Smarts sighed. There was usually more for them to do after a raid: people to train, cell stuff to help with, supplies to run after. But this had hardly been a typical raid. "Well, I delivered breakfast to Ryan and Trash. They promised to insure that Allie-Cat and Michaelangelo ate also." 

Eight sat on the floor of the hanger bay, using one of the ship's supports as a backrest. That also put him right in front of the Vex's cage. Smarts really didn't want to know why Tala had a metal cage so readily available. Eight lifted his hand and quickly signed over his shoulder. *Think you could build one of these babies?* He pointed up at the ship. 

Smarts adjusted his glasses, giving the bottom of the ship a hard look over as he walked underneath it. "Sure, after I learned the technology, studied a couple of manuals; I'd have a prototype ready in fifty years by rough estimation." 

*Damn, I always wanted to be an astronaut.* 

"I didn't know that." 

*What's the point on dwelling on dead dreams?* 

"Maybe it's not dead." Smarts sat down at the top of the ramp. "If Val Tech keeps working with the Plutarkians, there might be a need for Mutates in outer space." 

*Mentioned that to Ryan?* 

"No, he's still hovering over Trash." 

Eight chuckled, *You expected something different now that Allie-Cat's been booted out of his head?* 

"Guess not." 

"Would you give the damn one-sided conversation a rest already!" BatWing flopped her still-tied body inside the cage. "You goody-goodies aren't supposed to torture prisoners." 

*We could still gag her.* 

Mike appeared in the opening at the top of the ramp. "Hey! Zack woke up for a little bit and talked. He's gonna be okay. Spread the word, will ya?" He disappeared back inside the ship. 

*That's great!* Eight stretched after signing. 

"That's impossible. There is no cure," BatWing said. 

"I'll go tell the others." Smarts headed to the stairwell. "And I will endeavor to find a gag." 

* * *

"**Alright!**" Sparks started to run for a door, but Modo's tail wrapped around his waist brought him to a stop. 

"He ain't up to full-speed yet. Ya gotta be patient." 

"You just want me to stay and play with the baby." 

"Charley, watch the baby." Modo grasped Sparks's hand. "Come on, we need to have a talk." Sparks swallowed hard as they left the group in Tala's loft. Modo sat down on the stairs. "Now, do ya wanna tell me why yer actin' so crazy?" 

"I'm not actin' crazy." He unfolded his arms and shuffled his feet under his father's gaze. "He's my friend." 

"Yeah, but yer a smart kid, you know you gotta give him time to get well." 

He looked at the toes of his shoes. "They said Mom was comin' home. They never let me see her. And then Roddie told me I didn't have a mom and dad anymore and I was gonna live with her." 

"Oh Sparks," Modo wrapped his arms around him. Sparks buried his face against his father's neck. "That's not gonna happen now. Okay? So just relax. Yer gonna be the next one sick at this rate. But you ain't losin' yer friend." 

* * *

Charley took hold of the baby crawling to the edge of the blanket. "Where do you think you're going?" 

The baby blew a raspberry right in her face. 

"Taking talking lessons from Vinnie, I see." Charley wiped off her face as the baby started wrestling with her leg. She looked up at Smarts. "Do they know if everything got fixed on him?" 

"I don't know," Smarts said. "Michaelangelo just told us that he had woke up and he's going to be okay." 

"I guess it's still too soon to tell. They just got finished early this morning." 

"You were still awake?" Mona asked. 

"No, but Throttle was." 

Modo and a much-subdued Sparks opened the stairwell door. Mona cocked her head as she peered up from her seat on the couch. "Better now?" 

"Yeah," Sparks dropped on the blanket opposite from Charley. 

The baby made a delighted noise and crawled to his tail. Sparks saw him and moved it. The baby giggled and chased after it. 

Throttle said good-byes and hung up the phone. "That was Manuelo checking in. Nobody was hurt or experimented on. The officials are putting the apartment demolishing in the same category as what happens to Limburger's Towers. And Val Tech has made a huge donation to aid the victims of the tragedy." 

Mona stood up with an angry stride that took her nowhere. "They always do that! When they think they're about to get caught, out comes the checkbook." 

Smarts shook his head. "Money lets them escape culpability." 

"Culpa-what?" Modo asked. 

"Maybe we should just steal their money." Mona's face brightened. 

"The Leader would never approve that course of actions," Smarts said. Mona threw herself back on the couch. 

"The cops aren't working on a kidnapping charge?" Charley asked. 

"Manuelo said they weren't." 

Before Charley could comment, the elevator gate was opened and Vinnie vaulted over the catwalk railing. "Toy express comin' through!" 

His landing startled the baby into wailing. "Way to go, Vinnie," Sparks muttered as he picked up the human infant. 

"What? This haul is for him." Vinnie dumped the shopping bag's contents on the blanket. 

"You didn't buy the entire store? How restrained of you." Charley examined the purchases. 

"Tala kept telling me to put stuff back." 

"Good thing too, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to haul it back." Tala stepped off the metal stairs. "And thanks for testing the structural integrity of my building." 

"You're welcome." 

Modo got down on his knees and took the still crying baby from Sparks. "Ssh, li'l fella. It's alright. What took you guys so long?" 

"Yeah, you left last night." Throttle plopped down on the floor next to Charley, but kept an expectent expression. 

Tala sat in the recliner and pulled her feet into the seat. "He got enmeshed in a video game display. Had to beat the stupid thing. I finally paid the manager to lock up, and the manager and me slept in his office. The morning shift got him off the game, we bought the stuff, and finally got to come home." 

"That isn't all we did," Vinnie said. "We had to swing by the scoreboard and get my money." 

"You took her to the scoreboard?" Throttle stiffened and Charley could feel it, sitting beside him. 

"Yes, he did," Tala answered. "The place is filthy. And Bola would pitch a fit over you raising her grandson there." 

Modo's head jerked up from the baby. "Don't you dare tell my momma!" 

Vinnie snickered at his panicked expression. "Is me and Throttle gonna have to tell her that her baby boy was havin' sex? Like we had to tell her about Stella?" 

"Huh?" Sparks looked from his father to Vinnie. 

Vinnie chuckled harder. "He couldn't tell his dear grey-furred mum that he had a girlfriend." 

"I haven't had a chance to call her! I'm gonna!" 

"Gettin' back to the other topic of discussion." Throttle dropped his field specs sown his snout. "What part of secret bachelor pad don't you understand, Vincent?" 

"I'm hurt." Tala sounded like she had a good pout going. "You know my house, my ship, use my medical supplies, eat my food, make me go shoot bad guys with you; and you don't trust me enough to show me a bedroom I **really** didn't want to see? That hurts." 

Throttle squirmed. "It's not that. We just want to keep quiet 'bout it. To Earth authorities." 

"And you think I'm gonna give you away?" 

"Don't either of you care that Zack's gonna be okay?" Sparks grabbed the big, plastic keys on a key ring from the pile of toys and dangled them in front of the baby. That finally distracted him from wailing. 

"That's good news." Tala peered over the recliner back. "Did somebody cook breakfast?" 

"That's great news!" Vinnie jumped up. "Now we can get started on the party!" 

"Party?" Mona blinked. 

"We saved the day, Zack is gonna be okay, we owe Felipe a birthday party, and bad guys are out this round," Throttle explained. "Time to party." 

"I can live with that," Mona said. 

"Here?" Tala demanded. 

"The Turtles are hung up on pizza. You guys get weak-kneed without hot dogs and root beer," Charley said. 

"It's just not a party without 'em," Vinnie said. 

Charley continued by turning to Smarts. "Does your group have any favorites that you get hung up on?" 

His magnified eyes blinked. "Eight is partial to barbecue, but I don't think he'll die without any." 

"Actually barbecue sounds really good." 

"You want a party here?" Tala demanded. 

"Where else can we have it?" Modo said. 

"No, no, no. I've seen him drunk!" Tala pointed at Vinnie. 

"Only because you got me drunk." 

"Did not. You were the one who kept buying the drinks." 

"Which I wouldn't have if I knew you had an immunity to alcohol." 

"Well, whose fault is it for not asking, Mouse Scout?" 

"Let's get Pete to host it," Charley suggested. "We owe him an explanation anyway." 

"Of which part?" Mona asked. 

"Everything," Charley moved to the phone. 

"Well, it's not like we meant to leave him out of the loop." 

Pete answered the phone, and Charley ignored the lizard-girl. "Hi Pete." 

"Do I need to get the photo albums out, Lene?" 

"No. Actually, I was calling to see if you minded hosting a combination victory and birthday party for a five-year-old. Then we can tell you everything." 

"Blackmail the old man, heh? How many five-year-olds?" 

"One chronologically, his two cousins are a few years older." 

Pete chuckled. "This could be interestin'. You handle the food angle, I got the drinks. Tomorrow afternoon?" 

"Sounds perfect." After she said good-bye, Charley turned back to the room. "We got a place for tomorrow night." 

"Aw, we gotta wait?" 

Modo's tail whacked the back of Vinnie's head. "Zack'll be in better shape then." 

"I'm not babysitting during a party," Sparks declared. 

* * *

Di eased out of the bed and looked back down. Donatello still slept hard. And there was nothing she wanted more than to curl up again next to him. She squared her shoulders. _There is never enough time for what I want. Just enough for what I have to do._

Ryan and Trash were in the room across the hall from their bedroom. He looked up at the door curiously. Trash sighed, "If you're here to play doc on me, go practice somewhere else." 

"Sorry, Trash. I need to steal Ryan for a while. I'll bring him back in one piece." 

"You better, or I'll yank your blonde tail out." 

Ryan moved to the door. "Is it a girl thing to talk about a guy like he isn't even present?" 

Di allowed herself a slight smile. "You better get used to it." 

"Thanks for the advice." The bedroom door slid shut. "Now what's going on?" 

"Something I'd rather not let the Martians or Turtles know about." He followed her out of the ship and to where Eight and Smarts sat eating sandwiches. 

Smarts swallowed quickly and gestured with his. "Yours' are inside the galley. We thought it best to allow you to sleep." 

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry just yet." Di walked up to the cage. 

BatWing's large eyes glared back at her. "Hello kitty. You the one in charge? I'd love to complain about the service." 

"You have committed crimes against innocents and Mutates. Do you have anything to say in your defense?" 

"This isn't exactly an orthodox trial," BatWing sneered. "What gives you the authority to decide anything?" 

The growl rose in the back of her throat, but Di talked through it as she leaned closer to the cage. "You have no right to question my authority!" 

BatWing leaned away from her. "Well, you're not a quiet little tabby, are you?" 

Di retracted her claws. "You have no idea." 

"Have you ever considered the idea of a mole? As close as I am to Tabitha Val--" 

"You're still an expendable tool. Otherwise, they'd be rescuing you." 

"Everything is expendable to her. But she'd take me back--" 

"Bearing our secrets," Di interrupted. "If you had any interest in actually helping us, you would have suggested the mole idea to the team that broke into the lab you were created in, instead of slaughtering nearly all of them." 

"Someone did their homework." 

"And that's only the first of your crimes." 

BatWing laughed. "Crimes? That's something petty humans have. We're beyond that." 

"Which is why we have our own justice." Di opened the cage and stepped out of the way. Eight hauled out the trussed-up prisoner. "May God have mercy on your soul." 

Ryan rested a hand on her shoulder. "We'll handle this. The Bones owe her." 

"It's not about vengeance, Ryan." 

"I know." 

She closed her eyes. BatWing started to shriek, but it was cut off. The elevator gate opened, shut and the elevator descended. She trudged back into the ship. Instead of going back to Donnie, she sat down at the long table in the galley section of the lounge. She stared at the cup of black coffee set in front of her. 

* * *

Donnie yawned as he stumbled out of the bedroom. Where did they keep the food around here? And where had Di gone? He found both inside the room across from the medbay. It had a living room set up at one end and a kitchen at the other. Di sat at the table bolted to the floor. "I still feel like I could sleep for a week, but my stomach had other plans." He unwrapped a sandwich off the tray. 

"Mike came and got some sandwiches for him and Allie. Zack woke up and talked a little." 

Donnie swallowed. "Great, did you go look at him?" 

"No. I'm not feeling much like a doctor right now." 

"What's wrong?" 

Her bangs and long hair hid most of her face. "Something that had to be done." 

Ryan ducked his head inside the doorway. "Di? It's finished. Are you okay?" 

"I will be." 

"Well, I'm goin' back to Trash." 

Donnie set down the sandwich. "What's goin' on?" 

Her head bowed again. "You're going to hate me." 

"How could I possible hate you?" 

Sparks skidded to a stop in the hallway, and bounded inside. "Wow! you managed to piss everybody off all at once." He grabbed a sandwich. "Dad's mad 'cause he didn't get to pound her. Throttle's convinced you broke some laws, and Vinnie's mad 'cause he got left out." 

"Over what?" 

"They made BatWing disappear, permanently." 

"We executed her!" Di's hand slammed on the table hard enough to jostle the coffee cup in front of her. "We're not human anymore! Their laws can't apply to us because they would just toss a murderer like her into a lab to study. She'd escape and kill again! I can't let that happen to the norms or my people!" She covered her face with her hands. 

Sparks turned to Donnie. "I didn't mean...." The Turtle jerked his head toward the door. The boy took the hint, but still threw back one parting shot. "Cheese, she shot me. I'm not sorry she's gone." 

Donnie moved around the table and straddled the bench Di sat on. "It's alright." 

"I hate it. I hate having to judge." 

"Because you're a doctor." 

"I don't have a degree." 

He grimaced, not that she looked up to see. "Healer, if you prefer. I hate having to go out and fight, but I do it 'cause my brothers count on me. And you do what you hate for your people." 

Her green-gold eyes looked up at him. "You understand." 

"The others will understand too. You just surprised them with it probably." 

"She was too dangerous to put off dealing with her. And our laws are very clear on what to do with a Vex like her. Lucky and Tracker insisted on a death penalty. They understood better than I did what we would face." 

Donnie hugged her. "Sometimes killing is the only choice. It should always be the last choice, but I'm realistic enough to know some people don't deserve a second chance." 

"BatWing was one." Di leaned against him. 

"You're just tired and stressed right now. I've had more sleep than you, and I'm still tired. Come on, back to bed. Let Ryan handle the flack." 

Di let him pull her to her feet. "Unfair to poor Ryan." 

"True, but I have faith in him." He put his hands on her shoulder and guided her from behind. 

Allie and Mike stepped out of the medbay. "Sparks, it's okay if you want to sit with him. Now that he's okay, I need to get out for a little while. Burn off some adrenaline." She turned and frowned slightly at Di and Donnie. "What's wrong with you? It was a success you said so." 

"He lost the wings and tail and is losing the purple skin," Mike said. 

Di winced, "The external features have changed back. But we don't know what internal changes are going to be permanent. We might not discover them for months or years later." 

Allie grinned. "Diana Zora, you hypocrite. You're always glad when a Mutate looks like a norm." 

Donnie felt Di's fur bristle under his hands. 

"That's not my name anymore," she snapped. "And furthermore, the underground wouldn't survive without Mutates that can pass as norms--" 

Di broke off when Allie suddenly hugged her. "Zack's gonna live and the Oroku clan won't know anything's different. That's all I care about. You're on vacation; stop being such a worry wart." 

"This is a vacation?" Mike's eyes opened wide. "What's your real job like then?" Allie grabbed his hand and dragged him down the ramp. 

Donnie chuckled as Di's shoulders sagged. "You were afraid she was gonna be upset?" 

"I've seen her reaction to bad news before." 

"We're all exhausted. It's distorting our perceptions. Let's go of the weight of the world and rest." 

"Not very often anyone takes care of me." She kissed his cheek. "Better take advantage while I have it." 

Donnie covered the warm spot with his hand. "I wish it could last forever." He sighed as the bedroom door next to the medbay shut behind her. "But we're both too conscientious." His brothers still needed him--not as much as the Mutates needed her--but enough. He went back to the bedroom still filled with the medical equipment used to treat him. They were going to have to talk about a lot of things. He stretched out on the bed. Tomorrow, plenty of time to discuss things tomorrow. 

* * *

Zack opened his eyes again. Sparks was sitting in Allie's place now. "How ya feelin'?" He leaned on the bed. 

"I wanna chew on somethin'. Not that I'm hungry. Where'd Allie go?" 

"Get outside for a bit and then take a nap. Do ya want her?" 

"Nah, let her go. She's probably been on her self-denying kick while I was out." He rubbed a hand over his face. "It's all gone?" 

Sparks nodded. "They said you were getting wings and a tail too. But they did whatever they had to to make that stuff go away and it's gone. Your skin's still kinda purplish, well more lavender now." 

"That effect is only expected to last a few more hours before your skin returns to its normal shade," the synthesized voice interrupted. 

"Thanks, MC." Sparks rolled his eyes. "But ya don't hafta worry 'bout yer looks." 

"That's good to know. Not that I found any girls that care 'bout how I look." 

"Who cares what girls think?" 

Zack smirked. "Don't worry 'bout it. Wonder if I can climb walls now?" 

"You didn't look like a spider." 

"Oh well," Zack closed his eyes. "What happened to the bad guys?" 

"Me and Mona took down BatWing. Everybody else fought at the Tower and tore it down." 

Zack took a deep breath. "But nobody made them pay?" 

"The main bad guys got away, but we saved Manuelo's family and the other people. And the other Turtle and the cat girl that's mad at me, they cured you. I think that counts as a victory. Charley's plannin' the party." 

"They didn't make them pay!" Zack's eyelids flew open. 

Sparks leaned back. "Whoa! Yer eyes just went all white." 

"Turned white?" 

"Yeah, they're goin' back to normal now." 

Zack thought hard about the changes his body had went through. "And I was growin' wings and a tail?" 

"Yeap. Nobody knew what you were turning into." 

"I was turnin' into a gargoyle. Their eyes changed colors when they got mad. How am I supposed to explain my eyes goin' freaky?" 

"Maybe it'll go away too," Sparks said. 

"Mutate Di was concerned that there would be lingering mutations now made permanent." 

Now Zack rolled his eyes at the computer's voice. "Great, now what do I do?" 

"Keep yer temper?" Sparks suggested. 


	30. Chapter 29: Victory Party

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Twenty-nine  
Victory Party**

Charley climbed down from her bedroom at the garage. Throttle's bike was gone. He had left last night still in a huff over BatWing, which had only gotten worse when she had suggested that it wasn't much different from what they did. _It really isn't. He can be so practical and so idealistic at the same time. In a perfect universe, all the bad guys would get a day in court and sent to jail forever._ He would get over it. 

She surveyed what was left to do on the Turtles' van. A week's worth of work without help. Tala wasn't going to let them stay at her place that long. She had been dropping less than subtle hints last night. 

"Okay, Charley-girl, it's time for help. At least now I have all the materials. That Smarts was pretty good with all the radios." 

She locked up and drove the tow truck to Tala's. Nobody was in the garage, and Tala and Vinnie's bikes were gone. Charley smiled. _I wonder which one went stir-crazy first._ Still, Vinnie wasn't a bad mechanic when he was focused on the task. And that was harder than just fixing it yourself. 

Upstairs in Tala's loft, Throttle, Ryan and Leo were sitting in the sunken couch area in a leader's huddle. Throttle did look calmer. Maybe he was over being upset about BatWing. Eight was loading the dishwasher in the kitchen area while Smarts watched from the counter behind him. A plate of biscuits sat next to the redheaded young man, and Charley grabbed one. "Good morning." 

Eight waved hello from the sink. "Morning." Smarts pushed up his glasses and gestured at the couch. "Ryan finallysucceeded in calming down your boyfriend." 

"Good, I wasn't having much luck. You guys busy today?" 

"Unfortunately, not. You need assistance with something?" 

"Fixing the Turtles' van. There's the delicate stuff and the time-consuming stuff, and I only have one pair of hands. These biscuits are delicious." 

Eight turned slightly to give a thumbs-up and sign something to Smarts. 

"He's almost finished, and we can go back to the garage." 

Throttle rubbed her shoulder as came up behind her. "Hey babe. Not working this morning?" 

"Recruiting help. That van is a bigger job than I'm used to." 

He grimaced slightly. "I forgot all about that thing." 

"Yeah. But your rep isn't on the line." 

"Guess it is a little bigger than a bike. Do you need me?" 

Charley grinned. "For this? You put in your time. Besides, I wouldn't want to interrupt your male bonding session." 

"Well, we needed to see if we could work together without Allie tellin' us what to do." Throttle glanced over his shoulder. "The Mutates have their own ways of handling things. Need to learn more 'bout that." 

"Fine, then I'll know where to find you when it's time to start getting stuff for the party." She kissed his cheek. "You guys ready?" 

Eight circled his finger and thumb into the ok sign. Smarts nodded, "We can follow you on our bikes." 

"Okay, let's go." 

* * *

Di savored the bite of juicy sausage. Donatello stumbled into the spaceship's kitchen area and headed straight to the coffeepot. She smiled and swallowed. "You're not much of a morning person, are you?" 

"No, easier not to be seen at night." 

"Have some breakfast. Eight outdid himself. I'd give him a job as a chef any day." 

"At least it's not leftovers." He fixed a plate and took a deep breath. "Di...." 

"We need to reexamine Zack today. He should be in a better state for poking and prodding. Not to mention us being in a better shape to do it. And we need to check out your leg again. And apparently there's a party tonight, so we need to make sure everyone can go." 

"We need to talk." 

She scraped her bottom lip lightly against her fangs before answering. "Please, I'm not ready to end it yet." 

"It? So you like me too?" 

"Did you have any doubts?" 

"Once or twice I thought I could just be delirious." She smiled. "But I don't think we should end it just cause you're the Leader. Unless the Mutates are going to riot over you dating a non-Mutate." 

Her fork clattered against her plate. "What?" 

"You don't want to date?" 

"Of course I want to date. How did you know I'm the Leader?" The blood pounded in her ears. "No one's supposed to know." 

"It wasn't hard to figure out. You always refer to the Mutates as your people. You're more used to giving orders than taking them. Sometimes you reminded me of Leo with the responsibility issues and when you inspire others to listen to you. It made sense. I guess every so often you gotta leave Forsaken and make the Mutates circuit and check up on things." 

"Every couple of years. It's not exactly safe for me out here." 

"I haven't told anyone, thought I suspect Allie already knows." 

Di leaned against the table. "We were friends for years before my father took charge of the Los Trozo Research Facility." She tried to swallow the bitterness. "Skulls brought her to Forsaken when she was still his second. It's hard to hide who I am there. But Allie's safe. Val Tech would have to mind rape her with a teep before she'd tell." 

"Teep?" 

"Telepath." She studied the surface of the table. "And now you know." 

"I'm not going to tell, Di." 

"I know that. I'm just paranoid." 

"You have a good reason to be. You can't trust everyone." 

"Not only that. I don't want Val Tech torturing my people for what they think they know." 

Donnie rubbed his face. "So I know who you are and why you have to go back to Forsaken. And you know I won't tell." 

"And I know I have to give you up when I go back." She moved away from the table. She rapidly blinked her eyes and could see the wall in front of her. 

"Why? Would they really riot?" 

"It wouldn't be any of their business. But I have to go back to Forsaken." 

She heard Donnie moving behind her. "You're talking about two things that aren't logically connected. Yes, you have to go back to Forsaken, but why does that mean we have to stop this?" 

She leaned against his hands on her shoulders. "Are you going back with me?" 

"No, my brothers still need me in New York." 

She pulled away, "Then...." 

Donnie turned her around. "Then it's a long distance relationship. Once we get Zack and Allie back and settled in, I bet I can get away for a visit. As for keeping in touch, give me some tools and I'll give you the longest range Turtle comm I've ever built." His brown eyes locked with hers. "Unless, you'd rather--." 

Di planted her hands on the back of his head and drew him to her for a kiss. Donnie wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. When they finally parted, she said, "I didn't think I could have both." 

"Well, I'm going to make sure you have both as long as you want both." 

"I think your taking the harder job." 

"I don't think yours is up for grabs." He kissed her again. 

* * *

Sparks bounced the human baby on his knee. "I should've been more specific. No babysitting before, after, or durin' the party. Course, I would've gone shoppin' but I don't got a bike. Seemed to be what Charley based her getting-ready-for-the-party assignments on." 

"April usually does everything herself to keep it from getting screwed up." Zack finally found the button that controlled the position of the bunk. 

"She said she didn't have time for that and fixing the van, so they better not screw up. And yeah, that's a direct quote. Tala put her on speaker phone." 

Zack chuckled as the bunk adjusted to a sitting position. "Put him up here and give your arms a rest. Whose baby is he?" 

Sparks set him in the middle of the bunk and started putting up the rails on the sides. "Dad's practically adopted him, but he's a Mutate baby. They found him when they rescued the prisoners." 

"He's also the first second-gen." Di stopped to ruffle the baby's brown hair before taking Zack's pulse. "You owe him your life. His DNA enabled us to figure out what was happening to yours." 

"Well thanks, kiddo. What's his name?" Zack tickled his tummy. 

"Val Tech didn't record it, if his parents had the chance to give him one. How are you feeling?" 

"Strong enough to go to the party." 

"Course you are," Di smirked. 

"Are you still mad at me?" Sparks asked quietly. 

"No, and I'm sorry for yelling at you." 

"That's okay." He swung his feet as he sat in the chair. He didn't want to ask, but she needed to know. "Have you told Dad yet?" 

"What? That I yelled at you?" 

"No, that you're taking the baby." 

Di turned from the computer terminal. "Sparks, I have to take him back to Forsaken. He'll be safe there and his DNA may give other couples a chance to have children of their own. And he'll have a fuller life. There are more children; we have a school." 

"I'm not the one you have to convince. From what I've seen, Dad really likes kids. Too bad I'm an only child." 

"I hate to do this. It's better to keep kids with who wants them." She turned back to the terminal. "Every child should grow up feeling wanted." 

"He's too cute not to be wanted." Sparks leaned against the bunk's rail. "And Dad'll understand. Just break it to him easy." 

"This kid needs a name," Zack said. "It's not fair to be called _the baby_ all the time. And it's not like you Mutates use last names." 

"You want to name him?" Sparks asked. 

"Why not? He saved my life." 

"What do you want to name him?" Di turned back around. 

"Kōun. It means _chance_ in Japanese." 

"Chance, huh? That's a cool name." Modo leaned against the back of the chair next to Zack's bunk. 

"Thanks, but pronounce it Kōun. You like it, kiddo?" 

Kōun blew a raspberry and spouted gibberish in Zack's face. 

"That's his 'yes,'" Modo chuckled. 

"So you got everything for the party that Charley told you to?" Sparks turned to look at his father. 

"And delivered it to Pete's already. What makes you think we can't handle somethin' like that?" 

"Cause you guys are always dumpin' responsible stuff on Charley and never takin' her for fun stuff." 

"We do take Charley on fun stuff, but we don't want her to get hurt. You either." 

"Well, Zack, you're okay for the party. But nothing strenuous," Di added. 

"I forgot to pack my dancing shoes anyway." 

"Speaking of packing, Donnie got utterly confused digging through your back pack for your hairbrush. He kept muttering something about 'too big on the inside.'" 

Zack squirmed a little under Di's curious gaze. "Does the term 'bag of holding' mean anything to you?" 

"Not really." 

"Well, I can always fit more into that bag than I should. Don't know how." 

Kōun crawled to the edge of the bed and shook the railing with a yell. 

Modo chuckled, "Alright you, Kōun." He grabbed him, and Kōun giggled as he swung through the air. "Don't make a big fuss." 

Di sighed, "Modo, we need to talk about Kōun." 

Modo swiveled his head to look at her. "Nothin's wrong with him?" 

"No, he's perfectly healthy. Can we talk in the hall?" 

"Where didja get a bag of holding?" Sparks asked as the grown-ups left. 

"Same place I must've got gargoyle DNA." 

Sparks nodded as he moved closer to the door. Di spoke quietly to Modo. His back didn't betray how he was taking the news. She laid a comforting hand on the arm holding Kōun. Sparks scampered back to the bed. 

"He's not yelling," Zack said in a hushed tone. 

Modo came back inside, jiggling Koun to keep his mood away from the baby. "You know?" 

Sparks's tail ended up around his leg. "Yeah, sorry Dad." 

"Yeah, well, the scoreboard ain't no place for a baby. You gonna be up here a while?" 

"Do I need to do somethin' else?" 

"Nah. And I know where to find ya if somethin' comes up." 

"He took it pretty well," Zack said after Modo and Koun left. 

"He's not happy, tho'." 

"No, he's not. But he not very old; he can have more kids." 

"Yeah, I just don't know if I wanna share him. The baby, Kōun, he didn't have anybody, so that was okay. But Dad actin' as goofy as Vinnie over a girl?" Sparks slumped in the chair. 

"Hey, nobody's coming to take you away. And your Dad'll need you to cheer him up." 

"Got a point. And we got a party." 

"Yeap, party, party, party! Question." 

"Yeah?" 

"How do you know what a bag of holding is?" 

"Roddie had some _Dungeons & Dragons_ books too. She said they were Throttle's before he discovered bikes." Sparks snickered. 

* * *

Charley watched Pete's face as she finished her piece of Felipe's birthday cake. He was still digesting everything she had told him. She glanced around the main bar room. The party was a success. Sparks and Zack were both being gracious enough to play with the smaller children. They were testing the endurance level of all of Felipe's new toys, even if Sparks shied away from the attention Manuela and Isabel gave him. The rest of the adults were talking in small groups. The Turtles still hadn't seen their finished van yet. She was saving unveiling it until after Felipe's part in the party was done. 

"Lene." Pete sighed and drew Charley's attention back. "I don't know what to ask first." 

"Try alphabetical order." 

"Are you safe, Lene?" 

She glanced away from his serious face. Modo and Kōun had joined the rest of the kids. Vinnie and Tala stood at the jukebox arguing over the music. Throttle turned and smiled at her. She returned it before turning back to Pete. "I'm safer now than I've been since Dad died." She swallowed hard. "Believe me, I've had the hardest time proving I'm capable." 

"Well, you shouldn't be dating anyone that doesn't treat you as precious as you are." 

"I knew you'd take their side. I should stay home and cook while they go save the day by blowing up everything in sight." 

"Wipe that frown off your face, young lady. You know that's not what I meant. You're Chuck Davidson's daughter and if anyone doesn't think you're capable, they're idiots. Your strays at least have the excuse of being thickheaded males from another planet. But you can't fault their instincts." 

"Women and children first." Charley sighed. "I understand it, with everything they went through in the war, but it still gets annoying." 

"Now the war's here. Heh, and my old man said I wouldn't amount to nothin' as a biker bum. Look at me now, helpin' an underground railroad and in the middle of an alien invasion. Too bad Chuck missed it." He tugged at his black beard. "Okay, a little business, do you think Val Tech will team up with them whatchacall 'em? Plutarkians? Aw, that's right, you weren't there for that part. Allie-Cat." 

The blonde, young woman, who had finally traded the black, hip-hop ninja garb for blue jeans and a T-shirt, untangled herself from Mike's embrace. She hopped onto the bar counter beside Pete. "Don't you two look cheerful. And Mike says I can kill the mood of a party." 

"I like talking business and so do you. So now you get to spill; Val Tech and the Plutarkians?" 

Allie reached behind the counter for a root beer. "She probably picked Limburger 'cause he's the easiest to manipulate. Refreshing change of pace from the Shredder. As far as teaming up with him again, I doubt it. Too much double-crossing." 

"But there are other Plutarkians," Charley reminded her. 

"Then it depends on how badly she wants what they've got. Now what that is," she rubbed her hand wrapped in an Ace bandage, "I don't know. She was ranting about revenge during our conversation." 

"She's still mad 'bout San Diego?" Pete chugged his beer. 

"San Diego, San Francisco, and every place before that. Guess you can add Chicago to the list." 

"Do you think she's still after the guys?" Charley glanced over her shoulder at them before returning her attention to Allie and Pete. 

Allie shrugged, "Maybe, but you know about her and Val Tech now. It won't be a sneak attack." 

"Having to deal with Limburger's sneak attacks are bad enough." 

Pete glanced over his shoulder. "They're okay with me knowing 'bout them now?" 

"I finally convinced Throttle you're safe. But your standing with the Mutates helped more." 

"Wow, I have standing." 

Allie laughed. "And the best bar in Chi-town." She jumped down and went back to Mike. 

"That boy does her a world of good," Pete observed. "Like yours does for you." 

Charley felt her cheeks grow hot. "Pete." 

"Here he comes now." 

Throttle wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Manuelo and Serafina are ready to call it a night." 

"Okay." She swiveled off the barstool, and joined the group gathering at the door to see them off. 

Serafina embraced Charley and then kissed each of the adult mice on their snouts. "This is the second time you have reunited our family. Muchos gracias." Charley couldn't decide which macho biker mouse was blushing the hardest. 

"But Momma, we wanna stay and play with Sparks." Manuela protested as Nina helped her and her sister with their jackets. 

"You can play with Sparks another day," Modo said. 

Sparks's tail lashed as both Manuela and Isabel grinned at him. He managed a weak smile that didn't alleviate the caught-in-headlights expression in his eyes. 

"As soon as we get a new house, Mommy?" Isabel tugged on her jacket. 

"Sí, Sí, that'll work." 

Serafina kissed the Turtles. Mike chuckled, "I could get used to this getting thanked thing." 

"Not too used to it." Allie smirked as she hugged Serafina back. "Take care of that man of yours. He's a bad guy magnet." 

"But one for good ones too." She was careful not to jostle Trash as she hugged the injured Mutate, Di, and then Mona. Each of the male Black Bones got their kisses on the cheeks as well. 

Manuelo shook hands with everyone before carrying Felipe outside. The others followed escorting the family safely to their taxi. 

Raph, in the rear of the group, noticed the yellow and green van parked next to the Tavern. "Alright, our wheels!" 

Tala moved to Charley's side as the rest of the group descended on the van. "Testosterone surge is the same no matter what the species." 

Charley smirked. "Like you don't have a close, personal relationship with your bike." 

"I never said I didn't have any testosterone. And don't make fun of Hot Stuff. We owe each other too much." 

"Hey, I get dibs on target practice!" Mike yelled as the laser cannons added to the roof swiveled. 

"You're a lousy shot, Michaelangelo!" 

"But I never busted the van, Raphael!" 

Allie shook her head as she and Eight came back to where Charley and Tala stood. "They like it." 

Eight chuckled and signed to Allie. 

"You did good work on the hull then. Mike told me it looked like an accordion." Allie turned back to Charley. "And you did good work with everything else. Donnie's already poking under the hood." 

Charley buffed her nails against her shirt. "Glad they're pleased." 

"Pride's universal too." Tala grinned. 

Eight moved his hands fluidly and Allie translated for him. "Eight wants to know how you know that?" 

"Personal observation of at least twenty different species. It's heavily populated out there." Her hand swept across the star-filled sky. 

Eight followed her hand and stared up. He sighed heavily and lumbered back inside. Tala glanced at Allie. "Was it something I said?" 

"I don't know." Allie followed after him. 

"I better tell them 'bout the changes I made." Charley headed to the van, ignoring Tala's shrug. 

Vinnie bounded past her. "Good work, Charley-girl, but bikes are better." He rejoined Tala. 

Charley shook her head as she joined Donnie at the front of the van. He turned to keep the engine and the mechanic in his field of vision. "Must've been extensive damage." 

"The way you built the frame stopped it from being worse." 

"Got the idea from how they have to build fire engines for New York." He glanced at Di, "But we can compare notes tomorrow. My brothers tease me enough about all work." 

A pair of tan-furred arms wrapped around Charley from behind. "We have to yank her away too," Throttle said. 

"Not tonight." Charley leaned against him. 

Di laughed as she took hold of Donnie's arm. "Looks like your brothers are enjoying exploring it. Shall we leave them to it?" 

"Yeah, Leo will keep them from blowing anything up." He strolled with her back to the door. 

Charley turned inside Throttle's embrace and put her arms around his neck. "I want to dance, hunky mouse of mine." 

"Oh yeah?" He kissed her. "Well, let's get back to the music." He kept his arm around her shoulders as they headed inside. 


	31. Chapter 30: Goodbye Till We Meet Again

**WARS ARE WON BY THOSE WHO DARE  
BIKER MICE FROM MARS  
and  
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES  
  
FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FOES   
  
Chapter Thirty  
Good-bye Till We Meet Again**

Zack wrote quickly in the notebook. "It's worth the expense. Charley can keep her books for the garage on it, and you can always use the 'but it'll help me with classes' excuse for the Internet." 

"Hey if I can't convince Charley, I know I can convince Tala." Sparks leaned against the van's open door. "She might make it an even trade, but she won't say _no_ 'bout much." 

"What are you two planning?" Allie tossed a duffel bag into the back of the Turtle Van through its side door. She sauntered around the van to meet the hurried exchange of notebook and pen. 

"Who? Us? What makes you think we're up to somethin'?" 

Allie crossed her arms. "Right, like I don't know that expression. You inherited it from me." 

Zack grinned and stood away from the van's bumper. He wrapped his arms around his sister, stunned again that they were the same height. "Welcome back, Sis." 

"Remind me to tell you 'bout the ideas I've had while I was gone." 

"We gotta long ride." 

Allie released him with a grin. "Everybody's headed down here now. Figured you'd appreciate the heads up." 

"Thanks, Allie." The human and mouse boy moved away from the van and closer to where the Black Bones' bikes were parked in Tala's garage. 

"Your sister likes surprising what people expect from her, huh?" 

"For as long as I've known her." 

"This totally sucks." Trash complained loudly from the seat of the just-bought, used car. Her seat was almost totally reclined back. "Am I expected to keep the baby entertained the whole trip?" 

"Sedating you is still an option." Di said as she adjusted the driver's seat. 

"And I might take you up on it." 

Modo strapped Kōun into the baby seat in the middle of the back seat. The cluster of baby bags was piled behind Di's seat. "Ya won't let him forget 'bout us, will ya?" 

"He'll know the story by heart, Modo. Promise." 

Modo nodded as he closed the car door. Sparks moved quickly to his side, wrapping his arm around his waist. Modo set his flesh hand on Sparks' right shoulder. 

Donnie moved quickly toward the car while Di climbed out. He quickly embraced her, saying something too low to be heard. She drew back slightly but with a smile, and kissed him. 

Modo moved Sparks away. Allie was saying her good-byes to the Bones. She hugged Smarts and Eight, and paused before Ryan. "Take care of Trash. You know how good she is at watching herself." 

"I will. Here." He thrust his arms around her, leaving a Black Bones leather jacket on her shoulders. "Back where it belongs." 

"But Ryan...." 

"Once a Bone, always a Bone. You can't get rid of us that easily, Allie-Cat." 

"Wouldn't want to try." She hugged him. 

"Remember you gotta show us all the fun spots in New York next time we're there!" Trash yelled out of the car. 

"I will!" 

Throttle grabbed Ryan's hand. "Take care of your crew." 

"Same to you." 

Everyone moved back and let them mount up. Mike slung an arm around Donnie's shoulders as the car headed out the garage doors. "You okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm gonna see her again." 

"Just as long as I'm there when you take her to meet Splinter." 

"Do you really think...?" 

Mike chortled. "Nah, but you do panicked really well." 

Zack grinned. Now that Donnie had a girl, they'd probably turn all attention to him getting one. The grin faded. 

* * *

A late start after a good party; Throttle stared out at the sunny street outside the doors. He guessed what time they left didn't really matter since they would be hidden in the van. He was glad the team-up had worked better than expected, but he couldn't deny that he was glad to get back to just the group he knew best. He glanced at Tala. _Okay, so I'm still trying to figure her out._

Leo grasped Throttle's hand. "You guys need to come visit us in New York. Maybe we'll get a new super-villain you can help with." 

"Yeah, having a nice evening at a Broadway show would be out of the question." Every male in the garage stared at Charley in slack-jawed shock. "It was a joke, really guys. A joke. Like I could get you to go see Cats. Allie, I brought your bike back." 

Throttle shook his head as Allie and Charley moved away. "She gets hung up on educating us on Earth culture." 

"And we already know the best parts," Vinnie added as he pumped Leo's hand. 

Throttle decided not to even comment on that. Charley had gotten annoyed with them more than once for what she considered an elementary fact. "A road trip would be fun, if we ever get some vacation time comin' to us." 

"Don't get sick days with saving the world." Mona shook her head with a smirk. 

"And people look down on me for being a mercenary," Tala shrugged. "At least I get paid." 

"Yeah, well, we better get movin'. Late enough start as it is." Leo shook Modo and Tala's hands before going to the dark blue bike to shake Charley's. "Thank you for fixing the van. I hope we can repay the debt some day." 

"Just get home safely." She turned back to Allie. "And you are taking this bike. Skulls gave it to you." 

Allie shrugged. "I thought I'd offer." 

"I have a kick-butt bike design of my own I need to rebuild. And you really don't want to get rid of it." 

"Alright, alright, I take it back." Allie grinned as she held up her hands in surrender. 

Raph shook hands like his mommy was making him behave. Mona's good-byes at least had a smile attached. "Yeah, don't hafta hang onto the back of a bike!" She clambered into the van. 

"What's wrong with bikes?" Vinnie demanded. 

"Nothin' when you got a tail like yours." 

"No sweat, I'll ride with Allie." Mike shook hands and grabbed his trench coat and fedora out of the van. 

Donnie shook hands quickly, lingering with Charley. "We should build something together." 

"I'd like that," Charley said. 

Zack shook hands last. "Hey if you can't come to New York, maybe I can come this way." 

"Will you get in here?" Raph demanded. 

"It was just a suggestion. Allie went cross-country when she was fifteen, you guys were fighting the first Shredder, and I can't come back to Chicago?" 

Leo climbed behind the wheel as Allie and Mike got on her bike. The mice, Charley, and Tala waved until the yellow van was out of sight. 

Tala heaved a sigh. "Now things can get back to normal." 

"Normal hasn't been around much since they crashed here," Charley shot back. 

"You've loved every minute of it, Charley-girl. And they're a fun group too." Vinnie sliced the air with a clumsy karate chop. "Bet I can out-ninja them, tho'." 

"But your mouth would give you away." Sparks smirked. 

"That's it, you're sand squid bait! And don't dare go hidin' behind Modo!" 

* * *

Leo set a course toward Lake Michigan. Mike gave Allie's waist a squeeze to get her attention. "Are you okay? With going back to New York. I know you didn't find the guy you were lookin' for." 

"No, but my question got answered anyway. Why stay away from you, when all Caine would do is send me back?" 

"Righteous, it's me. I thought you could be comin' home for Zack's sake." He hugged her. "How can you convince me I'm your one and only?" 

Allie laughed. "You'll have to wait till we stop. I can't talk romance on the back of a bike. I just can't." 

They rounded a corner and passed Limburger Plaza. Bulldozers pushed the debris away so the cranes could swing the massive support columns into place. Mike felt Allie stiffen. "He's rebuilding already!" 

"Guess he must've breathed on some of the red tape bureaucrats. That'd speed up the process." 

"How can they possible beat him back? If he always pulls a comeback?" 

Mike frowned as they passed a full dump truck. "If he's busy rebuilding and decorating every time there's a skirmish, that keeps him occupied. It takes forever before they're done." 

"Yeah maybe." 

"Don't sweat it, babe. We'll be back to get our licks in." He glanced over his shoulder. "I've seen it."   
  


**THE END**


End file.
